hell to earth purposely to erraise them from Earth to Heaven and so religiously to give and consecrate both them and our selves and soules from sinne to righteousnesse and consequently with as much felicitie as glorie from Satan to God THere dwelt in the Citie of Avero in Portugall an ancient Nobleman termed Don Gasper de Vilarezo rich in either qualitie of earthly greatnesse as well of blood as revenewes who was neerely allied to the Marquesse of Denia in Spaine as marrying a Neece of his named Dona Alphanta a Lady exquisitely endued with the ornaments of Nature and the perfections of Grace for she was both faire and vertuous that adding lustre to these and these returning and reflecting embellishment to that which made her infinitely beloved of her husband Vilarezo and exceedingly honoured of all those who had the honour to know her and to crowne the felicitie of their affections and marriage they had three hopefull children one sonne and two daughters he termed Don Sebastiano and they the Donas Catalina and Berinthia Hee having attained his fifteenth yeare was by his Father made Page to Count Manriques de Lopez and continually followed him at Court and they from their tenth to their thirteenth yeares lived sometimes at Coimbra otherwhiles at Lisbone but commonly at Avero with their Parents who so carefully trained them up in those qualities and perfections requisite for Ladies of their ranke as they were no sooner seene but admired of all who saw them But before wee make a farther progression in this Historie thereby the better to unfold and anatomize it I hold it rather necessarie then impertinent that wee take a cursory though not a curious survey of both these young Ladies perfections and imperfections of their vices and vertues their beautie and deformitie that as objects are best knowne by the opposition of their contraries so by the way of comparison wee may distinguish how to know and know how to distinguish of the disparitie of these two sisters in their inclinations affections and delineations Catalina was somewhat short of stature but corpulent of body Berinthia tall but slender Catalina was of taint and complexion more browne then faire Berinthia not browne but sweetly faire or fairely sweet Catalina had a disdainefull Berinthia a gracious eye Catalina was proud Berinthia humble In a word Catalina was of humour extreamely imperious ambitious and revengefull and Berinthia modestly courteous gracious and religious So these two young Ladies growing now to bee capable of marriage many gallant Cavaliers of Avero become Servants and Suiters to them as well in respect of their Fathers Nobilitie and wealth as for their owne beauties and vertues yea their fame is generally so spread that from Lisbone and most of the chiefest Cities of Portugall divers Nobles and Knights resort to their Father Don Vilarezo's house to proffer up their affections to the dignitie and merits of his daughters But his age finding their youth too young to bee acquainted with the secrets and mysteries of marriage puts them all off either in generall termes or honourable excuses as holding the matching of his daughters of so eminent and important consideration as hee thinkes it fit hee should advisedly consult and not rashly conclude them which affection and care of Parents to their Children is still as honourable as commendable Don Sebastiano their brother being often both at Madrid Vallidolyd and Lisbone becomes very intimately and singularly acquainted with Don Antonio de Rivereâ—… a noble and rich young Cavalier by birth likewise a Portugall of the Citie of Elvas who was first and chiefe Gentleman to the Duke of Bragansa and the better to unite and perpetuate their familiaritie hee proffers him his eldest sister in marriage and prayes him at his first conveniencie to ride over to Avero to see her offering himselfe to accompany him in this journey and to second him in that enterprize as well towards his father as sister Don Antonio very kindly and thankfully listeneth to Don Sebastiano's courteous and affectionate proffer and knowing it so farre from the least disparagement as it was a great happinesse and honour for him to match himselfe in so noble a Family they assigne a day for that journey against when Don Antonio makes readie his preparatives and traine in all respects answerable to his ranke and generositie They arrive at Avero where Don Gasper de Vilarezo for his owne worth and his sonnes report receives Don Antonio honourably and entertaines him courteously he visiteth and saluteth first the mother then the two young Ladies her daughters and although hee cannot dislike Catalina yet so precious and amiable is sweet Berâ—…nthia in 〈◊〉 eye as hee no sooner sees but loves her yea her piercing eye her vermillion châ—…ke and delicate stature act such wonders in his heart as hee secretly proclaimes himselfe her Servant and publikely shee his Mistresse to which end hee takes time and opportunitie at advantage and so reveales her so much in termes that intimate the servencie of his zeale and endeare the zeale of his affection and constancy Berinthia entertaines his motion and speeches with many blushes which now and then cast a rosiat vaile ore the milke-white lillies of her complexion and to speake truth if Antonio bee inamoured of Berinthia no lesse is shee of him so as not only their eyes but their contempâ—…tions and hearts seeme already to sympathize and burne in the flame of an equall affection In a word by stealth hee courts her often And not â—…o deâ—…aine my Reader in the intricate Labyrinth of the whole passages of their loves Antonio for this time finds Berinthia in this resolution that as she hath not the will to grant so she hath not the power to deny his suit the rest time will produce But so powerfully doe the beautie and vertues of sweet Berinthia worke in 〈◊〉 his affections that impatient of delayes hee findes out her father and mother and in due termes requisite for him to give and they receive demaunds their daughter Berinthia in marriage Vilarezo thanking Antonio for this honour replies that of his two daughters hee thinkes Berinthia his younger as unworthy of him as Catalina his eldest worthily bestowed on him Antonio answeres that as he cannot deny but Catalina is faire yet hee must confesse that Berinthia is more beautifull to his eye and more pleasing to his thoughts Vilarezo lastly replies that he will first match Catalina ere Berinthia and that he is as content to give him the first as not as yet resolved to dispose of the second and so for this time they on these termes depart Vilarezo taking Antonio and his sonne Sebastiano with him to hunt a Stag whereof his adjacent Forrest hath plentie But whiles Antonio his body pursues the Stag his thoughts are flying after the beautie of his deare and faire Berinthia who as the Paragon of Beautie and Nature sits Empresse and Queene-Regent in the Court of his contemplations and affections hee is wounded at
Widdowes and Wives to beware by her mournful and execrable example her flames and prayers made expiation for the offence of her body and her soule mounted and fled to Heaven to crave remission and pardon of God who was the only Creator of the one and Redeemer of the other And such were the deplorable yet deserved ends of this bloody and wretched couple La Vasselay and La Villette for so cruelly murthering harmelesse Gratiana and innocent De Merson And thus did Gods all-seeing and sacred Justice justly triumph ore these their crying and execrable crimes O that their examples may engender and propagate our reformation and that the reading of this their lamentable History may teach us not only how to meditate thereon but also how to amend thereby GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XIV Fidelia and Caelestina cause Carpi and Monteleone with their two Laquayes Lorenzo and Anselmo to murther their Father Captaine Benevente which they performe Monteleone and his Laquay Anfelmo are drowned Fidelia hangs her selfe Lorenzo is hanged for a robbery and on the gallowes confesseth the murthering of Benevente Carpi hath his right hand then his head cut off Caelestina is beheadeâ—… and her body burnt OUr best parts being our Vertues and our chiefe and Soveraigne Vertue the purity and sanctity of our selves how can we neglect those or not regard this except we resolve to see our selves miserable in this life and our soules wretched in that to come and as charity is the cyment of our other vertues so envie her opposite is the subversion of this our charity from whence flowes rage revenge and many times murther her frequent and almost her inseperable companions but of all degrees of malice and envie can there be any so inhumane and diabolicall â—…s for two gracelesse daughters to plot the death of their owne father and to seduce and obtaine their two lovers to act and performe it whereof in this insuing History we shall see a most barbarous and bloody president as also their condigne punishâ—…nts afflicted on them for the same In the reading whereof O that we may have the grace by the sight of these their 〈◊〉 crimes and punishments to reforme and prevent our owne that wee may looke on their cruelty with charity on their rage with reaâ—…on on their errors with compassion on their desperation with pitty and on their 〈◊〉 wiâ—…h pâ—… that the meditation and contemplation thereof may terrifie ouâ—… 〈◊〉 quâ—…ch both the fire of our lust and the flames of our revenge so shall our faiths be fortified our passions reformed our affections purified and our actions eternally both blessed and sanctified to which end I have written and divulged it So Christian Reader if thou make this thy end in perusing it thou wilt then not faile to receive comfort thereby and therefore faile not to give God the Glory MAny yeeres since the Duke of Ossuna under the command of Spaine was made Viceroy of the Noble Kingdome of Naples the which hee governed with much reputation and honour although his fortunes or actions how justly or unjustly I know not have since suffered and received an Eclipse In the City of Otranto within the Province of Apulia there dwelt an ancient rich and valiant Gentleman nobly descended tearmed Captaine Benevente who by his deceased Lady Sophia Eliaâ—…ora Niece to the Duke of Piombinâ—… had left him two daughters and a sonne he tearmed Seignior Richardo Alcasero they two the Ladies Fidelia and Caelestina names indeed which they will no way deserve but from whom they will solely dissent and derogate through their hellish vices and inhumane dispositions to blood and murther wee may grace our names but our names cannot grace us Alcasero lives not at home with his father but for the most part at Naples as a chiefe Gentleman retayning to the Viceroy where he profiteth so well in riding and tilting a noble vertue and exercise beyond all other Italians naturall and hereditary to the Neopolitans that he purchased the name of a bold and brave Cavalier but for Fidelia and Caelestina the clockes of their youth having stroke twenty and eighteene the Captaine their father thinking it dangerous to have Ladies of their yeeres and descent farre from him keepes them at home that his care might provide them good husbands and his eye prevent them from matching with others It is as great a blessing in children to have loving Parents as for them to have obedient children and had their obedience answered his affection and their duty his providence wee had not seene the Theatre of this their History so be sprinckled and gored with such great effusion of blood This Captaine Benevente their father for his blood wealth and generosity was beloved and honoured of all the Nobility of Apulia and for his many services both by sea and land was held in so great esteeme in Otranto that his house was an Academie where all the Gallants both of City and Country resorted to backe great Horses to run at the Ring and to practise other such Courtly and Martiall Exercises whereunto this old Captaine as well in his age as youth was exceedingly addicted so as the beauty of his two daughters Fidelia and Caelestina could not be long either unseene or unadmired for they grew so perfectly faire of so sweet complexions and proper statures that they were justly reputed and held to be the Paragons of Beautie not only of Apulia but of Italy so as beauty being the Gold and Diamonds of Nature this of theirs so sweet in its influence and so excellent and delicious in that sweetnesse drew all mens eyes to love them many mens hearts to adore them so had they beene as rich in Vertue as in Beauty they had lived more fortunate and neither their friends nor enemies should have lived to have seene them die so miserably for now that proves their ruine which might have beene their glory They are both of them sought in marriage by many Barons and Caviliers as well at home as abroad but the Captaine their father will not give care nor hearken to any nor once permit that such motion be moved him They are so immodest as they grieve hereat and are so extreamly sorrowfull to see that a few yeares past away makes their Beauties rather fade than flourish where Vertue graceth not Beauty as well as Beauty Vertue it is often 〈◊〉 presage and fore-runner of a fortune as fatall as miserable But as their thoughts were too impatient and immodest to give way to such incontinent and irrigular conceits so on the other side the Captaine their father was too severe and withall too unkind I may say cruell to hinder them from Marriage sith their beauty and age had long since made them both meritorious and capable of it It was in them immodesty in him unkindenesse to propose such ends to their desires and resolutions for as hee hath authority to exact obedience from them
hereat but how to remedy it she knowes not For his discontent hath made him so vicious his vices so obstinate and his obstinacie so outragious and violent as his Mother surfets with his Love-sute to Eleanora and will no more entermeddle with it Hee prayes and reprayes her to make one Iourney more for him to Vercelie to see what alterations time may have wrought in the hearts of Cassino and Eleanora but shee is as averse and wilfull as he is obstinate and peremptory and therefore constantly vowes neither to write nor ever to conferre more with them herein But this resolute answer of the Mother breeds bad blood in the Sonne yea it makes a Mutiny in his thoughts a Civill warre in his heart and a flat Rebellion in his resolutions against her for the same to which the Devill the Arch-enemy and Incendiary of our soules blowes the Coles For he who hereâ—…ofore looked on his Mother with obedience and affection cannot or at least will not see her now but with contempt and malice yea hee is so devoid of Grace and so exempt of Goodnesse that hee lookes from Charitie to wrath from Religion to Revenge from Heaven to Hell and so resolves to murther her thinking with himselfe that if hee had once dispatcht her he should then be sole Lord of all her wealth and that then this his great and absolute estate would soone induce Cassino and Eleanora to accept of his affection But he reckons without his soule and without God and therefore no marvell if these his bloody hopes deceive and betray him his Religion and Conscience cannot prevaile with him neither hath his Soule either grace or power enough to divert him from this fatall busines and execrable resolution for he will be so infernall a Monster of nature as to act her death of whom he received his life He consults with himselfe and the Devill with him whether hee should stab or poyson her but he holds it farre more safe and lesse dangerous to use the Drug then the Dagger and so concludes upon poyson to which â—…nd he being resolute in his rage thus to make away his Mother he as an execrable Villaine or indeed rather as a Devill provides himselfe of poyson the which hee still carries about him waiting for an opportunitie to give an end to this deplorable busines the which the Devill very shortly administreth him The manner thus This refusall of Cassino to her Sonne Alphonso and his miserable relapse to whoredome drunkennesse and neglect of prayer doth exceedingly distemper the Lady Sophia his Mothers spirits and they her body so that she is three dayes sicke of a Burning feaver when to allay the fervor of that unaccustomed heate shee causeth some Almond-milke to bee made her the which shee compoundeth with many coole herbes and other wholesome Ingredients of that nature and quality which she takes three times each day morning after dinner and before shee goes to bed So the third day of her sicknesse walking in the afternoone in one of the shaddowed Allies of her Garden with her Sonne and there with her best advice rectifying and directing his resolutions from Vice to Vertue she is unexpectedly surprised with the Symptome of her Feaver when sitting downe and causing her waiting Maid to hold her head in one of the Arbours she prayes her Sonne Alphonso to runne to her Chamber and to bring her a small wicker Bottle of Almond milke the which he doth but bloody Villaine that he is nothing can withhold him but his heart being tempered with inhumanitie and crueltie hee first poures in his poyson therein and then gives it her who good Lady drinkes two great draughts thereof when a sweat presently over spreading her face and shee beginning to looke pale he as a wretched Hypocrite makes a loud outcry from the Garden to the house and calling there Servants to her assistance hee likewise cals for a Chaire so she is brought to her Chamber and laid in her bed and within few houres after as a vertuous Lady and innocent Saint she forsakes this life and this world for a better and the ignorance of her Servants and her bloody Sonne drench'd as it were in the rivolets of his fained teares together with his excessive lamentations doe coffin her dead body up somewhat privately and speedily so that there is no thought nor suspicion of poyson and thus was the lamentable Murther and deplorable end of this wise and religious Lady Sophia committed by her owne wretched and infernall Sonne Now this Devill Alphonso to set the better luster on his forrowes and the better varnish and colour on his mourning for the death of his Mother gives her a stately Funerall the pompe and cost whereof not only equalized but exceeded their ranke and quality For he left no Gentleman or Lady in or about Cassall uninvited to be at her buriall and his Feast and dighted himselfe and all his Kinsfolkes and Servants in mourning attire thereby the better to carry off the least reflexion or shaddow of suspicion from him of this his foule and inhumane Murther The newes of the Lady Sophia's death runs from Cassall to Vercelie where Cassino and his Neece Eleanora understanding thereof they both of them exceedingly lament and sorrow for it in regard she was a very Honourable Wise and Religious Lady and to whom the tender youth of Eleanora was infinitly beholding and indebted for many of her sweet vertues and perfections so that as her Vncle honoured her so this his Neece held her selfe bound to reverence her as making her eminent and singular vertues the mould and patterne whereon shee framed all her terrestriall comportments and actions which in few moneths after were so many and so excellent that as she was knowne to bee one of the most beautifull so shee was likewise justly reported to be one of the wisest young Ladies of all that Citie and Countrie which together with her owne great Estate as also that of her Vncle Cassino's to the full enjoying whereof in contemplation of her vertues and consanguinity he had justly both designed and adopted her his sole heire the which made her to be sought in marriage by divers young Gallants of very noble and chiefe houses most whereof were superiour to Alphonso both in blood and wealth When her Vncle at last with her owne free affection and consent privately marries her to Signior Hieronymo Brasciano a rich and brave young Gentleman of Vercelie who was Nephew and Heire to the Bishop of that Citie but he being likewise very young the tendernesse of both their ages dispenced them from as yet lying together and both the Bishop and her Vncle Cassino for some important reasons best knowne to themselves caused this their marriage as yet to bee concealed from all the world with great privacie and secrecie hee for the most part living with the Bishop his Vncle at the Citie of Turin which is the Court of the Duke of Savoy and she in Vercelie
other busines rides over to Stremos and acquaints the Corigidores herewith and taking Roderigo likewise along with him hee also failes not very resolutely to affirme and most constantly to confirme it to them which these wise and grave judges understanding they in honour to Gods service and glory and in true obedience to his sacred justice without any delay or procrastination take Don Gasper de Mora the old Souldiour Roderigo and some three or foure expert Swimmers along with them and with hast and secresie speed away to the pond wherein after those Swimmers had beene a quarter of an houre and curiously busked and dived in most places thereof to find out this cloath at lâ—… by the mercy and providence of God one of them diving far better than the rest sees and finds it and swimming with his left hand brings it a shore in his right hand to the Corigidores who much admiring and rejoycing thereat cause it presently to bee opened where contrary to all their expectations they find no dead child but as wee have formerly understood a cambricke smocke as yet all spotted and stained with blood and tyed fast with a blew silke garter and in it a very sharp and bloody razor with a brasse weight tyed in all this purposely to sinke it in the pond The Corigidores Gaspar De Mora and all the rest are amazed and astonished at the sight of these bloody evidences when Roderigo againe constantly swearing to them that hee saw the Lady Bellinda with her owne hands throw this little linnen fardell into that pond the verie same morning that her husband Don Ferallo was found murthered in his bed and the malitious curiosity of Gaspar De Mora here finding the very two first and last letters of her name in the cambricke smocke the Corigidores then concurre in one opinion as so many lines which terminate in one Centre that yet infalibly it was shee and no other who had so cruelly murthered her husband Ferallo in his bed Whereupon taking this bloody smocke razor and garter with them they with much zeale and speed poast away to the Lady Bellinda's house to apprehend her for this her foule and lamentable murther where cruell hearted and lascivious Lady shee is so far from the consideration of grace or the thought and apprehension of any feare as shee feares none and which is worst of all not the power and justice of God himselfe for shee is so immodest in her heart so lustfull in her conversation as notwithstanding her blacke mourning attire and apparell that her first husband was but lately dead and now her second not as yet cold in his grave yet with great variety of musicke shee is here now in her house singing dancing and revelling with divers young Cavalliers and Gallants both of the cittie country as if she had no other care thought or busines but how to make choyce of a third husband who might amorously please her lustfull eye and heart and of no lesse than a paire of Paramours and favorites who should lasciviously content her wanton desires and affections But these wanton vanities and vaine and lascivious hopes of the Lady Bellinda will now deceive her for now the Lords appointed due time is come wherein for these her two horrible murthers committed on the persons of her two husbands his divine sacred Majestie is resolved to powre downe his punishments and to thunder forth his judgements upon her to her utter shame and confusion The Corigidores resolutely enter her house then and there cause the Sergeants to apprehend her prisoner whereat being suddainly amazed and infinitely terrified shee weepes sighes and cries extremely But those Cavalliers I meane those her supposed lovers and pretended favorites who were there singing and dancing with her neither can or dare either affist or rescue her Now the plumes of her pride and jollity are suddainly dejected and fallen to the ground yea her musicke is turned to mourning her singing to sighes and her dancing triumphâ—… to teares The enormity of her crime cause these officers of justice to see her conveyed to prison without any respect of her beauty or regard of her sex and quality where shee hath more leisure given her to repent than meanes how to remedy these her misfortunes The next morning shee is sent for before her judges who roundly charge her for cruelly murthering her husband Don Ferallo in his bed the which with many teares and oathes shee stoutly denies then they shew her those bloody evidences â—…er cambricke smocke the razor her blew garter and the brasse weight and also produce and confront Roderigo with her who as before hee had affirmed now hee swears hee saw her throw this bloody linnen fardell into the pond the verie morning that her husband Don Ferallo was found murthered in his bed and although at the sight and knowledge hereof shee is at first wonderfully appalled and daunted therewith yet her courage is so stout as shee againe denies it with many prophane and fearefull asseverations and delighteth to heare her selfe make a tedious justification and a frivolous apologie to her judges for her innocency But those grave and prudent Magistrates of justice who in zeale to Gods glory have eyes not in vaine in their heads will give no beleife either to the sweetnes of the Lady Bellinda's youth or to the sugar of her speeches and protestations but for the vindication of this crime and of this truth they adjudge her the very next morning to the racke where such is her female fortitude as shee permits suffers her selfe to bee fastned thereunto with infinite constancy and patience as disdaining that the torments thereof should extort any truth from her tongue to the prejudice of her reputation and to the shipwracke of her safety and life but herein she reckons too short of God and beyond her selfe for shee considereth not that these torments are truly sent her from God and this her courage falsly lent and given her from Sathan for at the very first wrench of the racke and touch of the cord finding it impossible that her tender body and dainty limbs can endure the cruelty of those tortures God puts this grace into her heart that with many sighes and teares shee prayes her judges and tormentors to desist and so publikely confesseth that it was shee and only shee who had murthered her husband Ferallo and cut his throat in his bed with that very same razor Upon which confession of hers her judges glorifiing God for the detection of this cruell murther they for expiation thereof doe forthwith adjudge and sentence this wretched and bloody Lady Bellinda to bee the next morning burnt alive without the walles of Stremos at the foot of the castle which is the destined place of death for the like crimes and offendors so she being by them then againe returned to prison that night in Christian charity they send her some Priests and Nunnes to direct and prepare her soule
immediately in comes Gasparino with his Hat in his hand and his Rapier by his side he courts and salutes Christeneta with many amorous speeches and sweet Complements shee prepares to receive him but in stead of curteous entertainment gives him a bloudy welcome Her words or rather her watch-word are these Gasparino quoth shee this Garden is the place where I had my first conference with Pisani and where I purpose to have my last with you At which words Bianco and Brindoli rush forth of a Bowre and with many wounds kill him dead at their feet but hee had first the leisure to draw and for a while very valiantly defended himselfe giving each of them severall wounds Christeneta seeing Gasparino felld to the ground fearing that he was not fully dead and to prevent his crying she runnes to him thrusts her Handkercher into his mouth and to shew her selfe more like a Tygre then a Woman and a Devill then a Christian she with a small Ponyard or Stilleto stabs him many times thorow the body and spurning him with her feet utters this revengefull and bloudy speech This I sacrifice to the memory of my deare Love Pisani And so Bianco and Brindoli take this murdered body of Gasparino and tying a great stone to it threw it into the Well of â—…he Garden and the better to conceale this damnable act they flye by a Posterne â—…oore and Christeneta thinking to cover and shrowd her sinne under the cloake of Piety and devotion forsakes the Garden and so unseene of any earthly eye betakes her selfe to the Nunnes Church where she falls an her knees but with so prophane a devotion as shee did no way repent but rather triumph at this Murther But this her hypocrisy shall cost her deare Wee have here seene this horrible and cruell Murther committed and acted and the Murtherers themselves by this time all fled and gotten to their homes Yea Christeneta gloryeth in her revenge and Bianco and Brindoli in their money so as they now â—…hinke themselves free and past all danger but they shall be deceived in their hopes for Divine providence hath decreed otherwise And here we come to the detection and punishment of this Murther wherein Gods mercy and justice his providence and his glory doe most miraculously shine and appeare The Nunnes being in their Cells at their Oraisons heare the flynking of swords and so they advertise their Abbesse or Governesse thereof who gives the Alarum in the house They descend to the Garden to see what this rumour might be they finde the Posterne open and the Alleyes very much sprinkled and gored with blood they suspect Murther but neither finde nor see any either living or dead they send to acquaint the Prefect and Provost of the City herewith who repayre to the Garden and as before finde much bloud but see nobody they make strict inquiry and search in the Ditches hedges thickets and vaults of the Garden but finde nothing only they forget to search the Well Then to finde what those Fighters were they thinke of a Policie as worthy of them as they of their office they give a secret charge to all the ehirurgions of the city to reveale them if any having new wounds came that night or the next morning to them to be cured whereupon Rhanutiâ—… one of the chiefest Chirurgions informes them that he about an houre since had dressed Bianco and Brindoli two souldiers of the city of nine severall wounds which they newly received The Prefect and Provost advertised hereof cause them to bee brought before them whom they found both together where no doubt they had consulted They enquire who wounded them They answer they had a Quarrell betwixt themselves and so they fought it out Being demanded againe where and when they fought they looked each on other and knowing that Christeneta was safe at home and Gasparino close in the well they instantly replyed It was in the Nunnes Garden at Saint Clayre and at sixe of the clock in the morning which agreeing to the Nunnes relation gave end to this businesse for that time especially But though they delude and blinde the eyes of men yet they cannot nor shall not those of God And now although these murtherers have thus escaped yet they prepare to forfake and leave Pavia for feare to be afterwards discovered But they shall be prevented in their subtleties for the hand of God will speedily arrest them Now wee must observe that Gasparino being found wanting two whole nights from his Lodging and his Lackey gathering no newes of him at Vituri's house where hee usually frequented to visite and court his Mistresse Christeneta he informes the Host of the house hereof and he like an honest man doubting the worst after the custome of Italy acquainted the Prefect and Provost thereof who like judicious and wise Magistrates examined Gasparino's Lackey when he last saw his Master and where The Lackey answeres Hee parted from his Chamber yesterday morning betwixt five and sixe with his Prayer-booke in his hand as if hee were going to Church but commanded him not to follow him and since hee saith hee saw him not And now by the providence of God the Lackeyes relation gives a little glimpse and glimmering light to the discovery of this Murther for the Magistrates see that the houre of Gasparino's departure from his Chamber and that of Bianco and Brindoli's fighting doe agree as also his Booke and the Nunnes Church beare some shew of coherence and probability Whereupon they guided as it were by the very immediat finger of God resolve and determine to apprehend and forthwith to imprison both Bianco and Brindoli who the very next day had thought to have slipt downe the River to Ferara and so to Venice They are examined concerning Gasparino they vow he is a Gentleman they have neither knowne nor seene The Magistrates hold it fit they should be put to the Rack which is as speedily performed but these stoute Villaines firmely and constantly maintaine their first speech and although they make sute to be freed and released yet the Prefect holds it necessary to continue them in prison and withall to make a more narrow and exacter search in the Nunnes Garden Christeneta being at the first advertised that Bianco and Brindoli were dead is thereat astonished and amazed and so resolves to flye but being advertised they had already suffered torment and revealed nothing she againe resolves to stay which indeed she doth but it is the Iustice and mercy of God that keepes this bloudy bird within her nest The Prefect and Provost as being inspired from heaven continue constant in their resolutions to make a second search in the Garden for Murther which they doe and very curiously leaving no place unsearched at last it pleased the Lord to put into the Provosts minde to search the Well which the day before they had omitted Hee acquaints the Prefect herewith who with much alacrity approves hereof and so causing it to be
judgement but with passion and so rather like a devill then a man flies to his Wife's chamber wherein furiously rushing hee with his sword drawne in his hand to her great terrour and amazement delivers her these words Minion quoth hee upon thy life tell me what familiarity there hath now past betwixt De Flores and thy selfe whereat shee fetching many sighes and shedding many teares answers him that by her part of heaven her thoughts speeches and actions have no way exceeded the bounds of honour and chastity towards him and that De Flores never attempted any courtesy but such as a brother may shew to his owne naturall sister Then quoth hee whence proceedes this your familiarity Whereat she growes pale and withall silent Which her husband espying Dispatch quoth hee and tell me the truth or else this sword of mine shall instantly finde a passage to thy heart When loe the providence of God so ordayned it that shee is reduced to this exigent and extreamity as shee must be a witnesse against her selfe and in seeking to conceale her whoredome must discover her Murther the which she doth in these words Know Alsemero that sith thou wilt inforce mee to shew thee the true cause of my chast familiarity with De Flores that I am much bound to him and thy selfe more for he it was that at my request dispatched Piracquo without the which as thou well knowest I could never have enjoyed thee for my husband nor thou me for thy wife And so she reveales him the whole circumstance of that cruell Murther as wee have formerly understood the which she conjures and prayes him to conceale sith no lesse then De Flores and her owne life depended thereon and that shee will dye a thousand deaths before consent to defile his bed or to violate her oath and promise given him in marriage Alsemero both wondering and grieving at this lamentable newes sayes little but thinkes the more and although hee had reason and apparance to believe that shee who commits Murther will not sticke to commit Adultery yet upon his Wife 's solemne oathes and protestations hee forgets what is past onely hee strictly chargeth her no more to see or admit De Flores into her company or if the contrary hee vowes hee will so sharpely bee revenged of her as hee will make her an example to all posterity But Beatrice-Ioana notwithstanding her husbands speeches continueth her intelligence with De Flores yea her husband no sooner rides abroad but he is at Valentia with her and they are become so impudent as what they did before secretly they now in a manner doe publikely or at least with Chamber-doores open Diaphanta knowing this to be a great scandall as well to her Masters honour as house againe informes him thereof who vowes to take a most sharpe revenge of this their infamy and indignity as indeed he doth for hee bethinkes himselfe thereby to effect it of an invention as worthy of his jealousie as of their first crime of Murther and of their second of Adultery hee injoyneth Diaphanta to lay wayt for the very houre that De Flores arrives from Alicant to Valentia which shee doth when instantly pretending to his Wife a journey in the Country hee very secretly and silently having his Rapier and Ponyard and a case of Pistols ready chaâ—…ged in his pocket seeming to take Horse husheth himselfe up privately in his Studie which was next adjoyning and within his Bed-chamber Beatrice-Ioana thinking her husband two or three Leagues off sends away for De Flores who comes instantly to her they fall to their kisses and imbracings shee rejoycing extreamely for his arrivall and hee for her husband Alsemero's departure she relates him the cruelty and indignitie her husband hath shewed and offered her the which De Flores understands with much contempt and choller as also with many threats Alsemero heares all but doth neither speake cough neeze nor spit So from words they â—…all to their beasily pleasures when Alsemero no longer able to containe himselfe much lesse to be accessary to this his shame and their villany throwes off the Doore and violently rusheth forth when finding them on his Bed in the middest of their adultery he first dischargeth his Pistols on them and then with his Sword and Ponyard runnes them thorow and stabs them with so many deepe and wide wounds that they have not so much power or time to speake a word but there lye weltring and wallowing in their bloud whiles their soules flie to another world to relate what horrible and beastly crimes their bodies have committed in this Thus by the providence of God in the second Tragedie of our Historie wee see our two Murtherers murthered and Piracquo's innocent bloud revenged in the guiltinesse of theirs Alsemero having finished this bloudie businesse leaves his Pistols on the Table as also his Sword and Ponyard all bloudy as they were and without covering or removing the breathlesse bodies of these two wretched miscreants he shuts his Chamber doore and is so farre from flying for the fact as hee takes his Coach and goes directly to the Criminall Iudge himselfe and reveales what he had done but conceales the Murther of Piracquo The Iudge is astonished and amazed at the report of this mournefull and pittifull accident hee takes Alsemero with him returnes to his house and findes those two dead bodies fresh smoaking and reeking in their bloud the newes hereof is spread in all the City The whole people of Valentia flocke thither to bee eye-witnesses of these two murthered persons where some behold them with pitie others with joy but all with astonishment and admiration and no lesse doe those of Alicant where this newes is speedily poasted but all their griefes are nothing to those of Don Diego de Vermandero's Beatrice-Ioana's father who infinitely and extreamely grieves partly for the death but specially for the crime of his daughter The Iudge presently commits Alsemero prisoner in another of his owne Chambers and so examining Diaphanta upon her oath concerning the familiaritie betwixt De Flores and Beatrice-Ioana shee affirmes constantly that now and many times before shee saw them commit adultery and that shee it was that first advertised Alsemero her Master heereof Whereupon after a second examination of Alsemero they upon mature deliberation acquite him of this fact so hee is freed and the dead bodies caried away and buried But although this earthly Iudge have acquitted Alsemero of this fact yet the Iudge of Iudges the great God of Heaven who seeth not onely our heart but our thoughts not onely our actions but our intents hath this and something else to lay to his charge for hee in his sacred providence and divine Iustice doth both remember and observe first how ready and willing Alsemero was to ingage himselfe to Beatrice-Ioana to kill Piracquo then though he consented not to his Murther yet how he concealed it and brought it not to publike arraignement and punishment whereby the dead body
Sypontus and Victorina she like a bad woman a wicked wife and a wreched creature redoubleth him her complaints and discontents against her husband and because Sypontus knowes it wisedome to strike whiles the Iron is hot as also that Time must be taken by the forelocke he like a wretched Politician layes hold of this occasion and opportunity and so consenteth to the Murther of her husband when from this bloudy resolution they passe to the manner how to effect it they consult on this lamentable businesse Victorina industrious in her malice proposeth to poyson him and so to bury him in her little garden but Sypontus dislikes this project and profers her to murther him in his Gondola as he comes from Luifizina whereon they agree So some ten dayes after Victorina advertiseth him that her husband is to goe to his house of pleasure in the Countrey neere Padua on the banke of the River Brenta where hee is onely to stay three dayes Sypontus imbraceth this occasion and continually wantonizing with his wife in his absence promiseth her to meet her husband at his returne and then to dispatch him which newes with a longing desire this miserable Curtezan Victorina attends him with as much impatience as impudencie Sypontus in the meane time in favour of twice ten Zeckynes is prepared of two wicked Gondoliers or Watermen who deepely vow and sweare to conceale this Murther So the precise day of Souranza's departure from his Countrey house being come Sypontus not to faile of his promise to Victorina in the execution of his bloody and damnable attempt takes his Gondola and hovers in the direct passage betwixt Lucifizina and Venice for Souranza his arrivall who poore harmelesse Gentleman loved his young wife so tenderly and dearely as hee thought this short time long that hee had wanted from her but hee hath seene his last of her and allasse alasse hee shall see an end of himselfe for about five of the clocke in the evening it being Summer time his usuall houre of returne hee takes Gondola at Lucifizina for Venice and neere midway twixt both Sypontus espies him and the sooner because it being hot weather and no wind stirring Souranza had caused his courtaines to bee withdrawne Sypontus inflamed with boyling malice and Revenge with all possible celerity makes towards his Gondola the which disguised and masked hee enters and there with his Ponyard very divellishly stabs him three severall times at the heart when falling downe to his feet hee most barbarously cut of his beard and nose that hee might not bee knowne and so throwes him into the Sea as also his Waterman after him that they might tell no tales when having finished these execrable Murthers hee with his Gondola with all possible speed hyes first to Murano and so lands by the Patriarchy from thence by the Arsenall and so to his owne house behind Saint Servi's Church thereby to cast a fayrer varnish on this villany by landing and comming into the Citie another way when being arrived at his house hee that night by a confident servant of his sends Victoryna this Letter SYPONTVS to VICTORYNA FAire and deare Victoryna I have begun and ended a businesse which infinitly imports thy good and my content the party hath drunke his fill of White and Claret and is now gone to his eternall rest so a little time I hope will wipe off thy old teares and confirme thy new joyes bee but as affectionate as I secret and as secret as till death I will bee affectionate and thou needst neither feare my fortunes nor doubt thine owne judge what I would doe to injoy thee and for thy sake sith I have already undertaken and acted a businesse of this nature we must for a time refraine each others company that wee may the sooner meet and imbrace withmore content and lesse danger SYPONTVS Victoryna infinitly rejoyceth at this newes and the better to cloke her malice under the vaile of secrecie shee laments and complaines to her father of her husbands long absence Souranza's Parents are by Beraldi acquainted herewith they begin to finde the time of his stay very long and now resolve to send his nephew Scignior Andrea Souranza up the river Brenta to know the cause thereof hee passeth and repasseth the Sluce of Lucifizina and brings word that hee departed thence for Venice in a Gondola foure dayes since Victoryna his wife grieves and weepes at his absence so doe his owne Parents and friends who enquiâ—…e of all sides but finde comfort or newes from none what is become of him And here Reader before thy curiosity carry thee further I conjure thee to stand astonished and wonder at the inscrutable and wonderfull judgement of God in the detection of this Murther For Fishermen some eight dayes casting out their nets betwixt the Ilands of La Lazareto and Saint George Majore bring up this dead body of Murthered Souranza being well apparelled but chiefly for their owne discharge they bring the dead corps to Venice and lanâ—… him at Saint Markes stayres where they extend and expose his body to bee knowne of passengers now behold further Gods miraculous providence in the discovery and finding out hereof for amongst the numberlesse number of spectators and walkers who dayly and almost hourely frequent and adorne that famous Burse and incomparable Pâ—…lace it happened that Andrea Souranza cast his eye on this dead and sea-withered body on whom hee lookes with as much stedfastnesse as curiosity as if Nature had made his living body a part of that dead or as if his hot bloud had some sympathy and affinity with that of the dead personage which long since the coldnesse of the Sea had congealed and frozen but at last espying a red spot in his necke under his right eare that hee brought into the world with him and which all the influence and vertue of the water of the Sea had not power to deface and wash away as also observing a wart over his left eye-lid which Nature had given his birth and his youth his age hee passionately cryes out before the world that it is the body of his Vncle Seigâ—…ior Iovan Baptista Souranza so it is visited by his Parents and friends and knowne to bee the same so they carry him to an adjoyning house and there devesting it naked finde that hee hath tâ—…ree severall wounds in his body either of a Sword or Ponyard which gives matter of talke and administreth cause of admiration in all the City so they bury him honourably according to his ranke and degree and all knowing him to bee Murthered infinitly bewaile his untimely and lament his mournefull death but especially his wife Victoryna who having formerly plaid the strumpet then the Murtheresse now takes on the maske and assumes the representation of an Hypocrite outwardly seeming to dye for sorrow when God and her foule ulcerated conscience knowes that inwardly her heart leapes for joy thus to bee depriv'd and freed of her old husband
they part Lo here the first fruits of their foolish and lascivious affections to Laurieta but I feare the second will prove more bitter and bloudy Belluile going home with his shame and repentance and Poligny with his honour and glory they hush themselves up in silence Poligny at his Chamber and Belluile at his Chirurgions house to dresse his wounds hoping that as they in their fight saw no body so that none had seene them but they are deceived for two Souldiers from the Castle walls not onely espy them fighting but know them So they divulge it in the City whereof Laurieta being advertised she sends a confident Gentleman a cousin germane of hers to finde out Belluile and to know the truth and issue of his combate but indeed his cowardise hath purchased him so much shame as hee will not bee seene much lesse spoken withall which Lauricta understanding beginnes conceive that the two Souldiers report was true and that undoubtedly hee and Poligny had met and fought in her behalfe whereupon ghessing at the truth that Poligny had given Belluile the foyle she was once of opinion to have written to Poligny to bee informed of the particulars and successe of their combat which so much imported as well her honour as her content But Poligny's affection prevents her curiosity for as she was calling for pen and paper hee in person ascends the stayres to her Chamber where after a complementall and courteous salute he informes her as we have formerly understood that hee hath given Belluile two wounds for her sake and now his life for his owne She demands if he himself were not hurt hee answers No. At both which good newes shee infinitely rejoyceth and in token of her thankfulnesse permits him to gather many kisses as well from the roses of her cheekes as the cherries of her lips and so from thenceforth he vowes to be her professed servant and she promiseth him to bee though not his Mistresse yet at least his friend And here they unite and combine their affections but that contract and this familiarity written onely in vice and sealed in lust we shall shortly see cancelled and annihilated with as much pitty as infamy and misery as the sequell of this History will shew and demonstrate Whiles thus Laurieta and Poligny are triumphing in Belluiles foyle and their owne familiarity and affection how is it possible but he must infinitely grieve for his losse of Laurieta and la Palaisiere as much sorrow to see her selfe deprived and out of hope of her Poligny But they brooke their afflictions and passions with variable resolutions for whiles la Palaisiere is imbathing her selfe in her teares and discontents Belluile is resolute to quench his revenge in Poligny's blood For forgetting as well his God as his soule his honor as himself he intends to doe it by the bye and not by the maine by execrable treachery not by magnanimous generosity yea the devil is so strong with his faith because that is so weake with his Saviour and Redeemer as shutting the doores of his humanity and charity hee opens them to Choller Revenge and Murther yea and henceforth he is so inraged and his lookes are so gastly and distracted as if his thoughts were conducting and incouraging his hands to perpetrate some bloody stratagem and designe which is observed and doubted by his chiefest familiars and intimate friends as also by la Palaisiere whose company hee sometimes frequents not so much out of affection to her as for consolation from her to himselfe sith wee are subject both to hope and believe that our afflictions are partly eased and diminished by the sight and relation of that of others as sympathizing and participating with them first in their flames of love then of griefe and sorrow in being disdayned of those wee love Neither could Belluile so cunningly or closely rake up the fiery sparkes of his malice â—…nd revenge under the embers of silence and secrecie but her affection to Poligny and â—…ealousie of his good made her so tender ear'd and sharpe-sighted as she over-heard â—…ome words that either in jest oâ—… earnest â—…ell from Belluile's â—…ongue whereby it was apâ—…arent to her that hee intended no good but portended a secret fatall malice to him â—…ich a little time might too too soone and uneâ—…pectedly discover wheâ—…upon her love to Poligny was so deare and honourable although hee were so firmely intangled in the beauty of Laurieta as he would not vouchsafe rather disdayned to love her selfe that she thought the discovery of Belluiles malice to Poligny so much imported Poligny's good as she held her selfe bound as well in duty as affection to reveale and relate it him which she doth in this Letter LA PALAISIERE to POLIGNY TO testifie thee now the constancie of my affection with inke as I have formerly done the fervencie thereof with teares know thou hast some cause to feare and I to doubt that Belluile hath some dangerous project or bloudy designe to put in execution against his honour and thy life and as I reveale it thee out of my care so looke thou prevent it out of thine owne discretion lest hee bereave thee of thy life as thou hast done him of his Laurieta if thou slight this my advice as thou hast already my affection yet as I remaine witnesse of the purity of the last so will these lines beare testimonie to the world of the candour and sinceritie of the first Neither doe I presume to send them thee out of any irregular ambition to purchase the honour of thy favour but onely to let thee know that my affection is both powerfull and capable to shine thorow the clowdes of thy disdaine and that the obscurity of that neither hath defaced the lustre nor can eclipse the resplendencie of this Regard therefore thine owne safety albeit thoâ—… wilt not respect my content and although thou please not give me the honour to be thy Mistresse yet I will take the ambition and resolution to live and dye thine hand-mayd LA PALAISIERE Poligny breaking up the seales of this Letter laughes to see la Palaisieres affection and to understand Belluiles malice and being besotted with Laurieta hee lost both his wit and judgement in the sight and contemplation of her beauty yea he is growne so fond in his affection and respect towards her as hee is arrived to the Meridian of this simplicity to deeme it a kinde of treason to conceale any secret from her to which end he shewes her la Palaisieres Letter which hee makes his pastime and shee her May-game yea so vaine is her folly and so foolish her vanity to see the passages and events of these their passions as shee not onely exceedes the decorum of discretion but of modestie in her laughter and which is more when shee againe considereth how Belluile loves her selfe and not she him la Palaisiere Poligny and not hee her it makes her redouble her mirth and exhilaration in such sort as
shee seemes to burst with the violence and excesse thereof but this mirth of hers shall be shortly wayted and attended on with misery and mourning But Poligny notwithstanding sees himselfe doubly obliged to la Palaisiere as well for her affection to him as her care of him and so holds himselfe obliged in either of these respects and considerations to requite her with a Letter the which now unknowne to Laurieta hee writes and sends her to this effect POLIGNY to LA PALAISIERE IT is not the least of my joyes that Belluile cannot beare me so much malice as thou dost affection T is true I have not deserved thy love t is more true I have not merited his hatred for that proceeds from heaven as a divine iufluence this from hell as an infernall frenzie 〈◊〉 will not feede thee with hope neither can hee give mee despaire for not to dissemble it iâ—… 〈◊〉 likely I may lâ—…ve â—…hee as impossible I shall feare him he may have the will to do 〈◊〉 hurt I wish 〈◊〉 were in my power to doe thee good neither can hee bee more malicious to performe me that then I will bee ambitious to confirme thee this his malice I entertaine with much contempt thy kinde advice and sincere affection with infinite thankes for when I consider thy Letter I cannot rightly expresse or define whether hee beginne to hate mee or I to love thee more I doubt not but to make his deedes proove wordes to mee and I beseech thee feare not but my wordes shall prove deedes to thee for I am as confident shortly to salute faire la Palaisiere as carelesse when I meet foolish Belluile POLIGNY Having thus dispeeded her his Letter the vanity of his thoughts and the beastlinesse of his concupiscence and sensuality not onely surpriseth his reason but captivates his judgement so as Laurieta's sight defacing Belluiles memory hee thinkes so much on her affection as hee respects not his malice but this Vice and that errour shall cost him deare For whiles hee is feasting his eyes on the daynties and rarities of Laurieta's beauty Belluiles heart hath agreed with the devill to prepare him a bloudy Banquet Grace cannot containe him within her limits therfore Impiety dallies so long with him and hee with Impiety that at last this bloudy sentence is past in the court of his hellish resolutions That Poligny must dye The devills assistance is never wanting in such infernall stratagems for this is an infallible maxime as remarkeable as ruinous That hee allwayes makes us fertile not barren to doe evill never to doe good At first Belluile thinkes on poyson or Pistoll to dispatch Poligny but hee findes the first too difficult to attempt the second too publike to performe Sometimes hee is of opinion to ascend his Chamber and murther him in his bed then to shoot him ouâ—… at window as he passeth the street but to conclude understanding that he often comes very late in the night from Laurieta he thinkes it best to run him thorow with his Rapier as he issueth forth her house And to make short hereon he resolves Now to put the better colour on his villany hee retires himselfe from Avignion and lives privately some sixe dayes in Orenge giving it out that hee was gone to the City of Aix in Provence where at that famous court of Parliament he had a Processe for a title of Land shortly to bee adjudged and so in a darke night taking none but his Lacky with him he being disguised in favour of money passeth the gate of Avignion and giving his horse to his Lackey being secretly informed that Poligny was with Laurieta he goes directly to her doore and there at the corner of a little street stands with his Rapier drawne under his cloake with a revenging and greedy desire of blood to awayt Poligny's comming forth The Clocke striking one the doore is opened and Poligny secretly issueth foorth without candle having purposely sent away his Lackey who had then unwittingly carried away his Masters Rapier with him Hee is no sooner in the street but Bellnile as a murtherous villaine rusheth foorth and so like a limbe of the Devill sheathes his Rapier in his brest when Poligny more hurt then amazed and wanting his Sword but not courage indeavoureth by struggling to close with his assassinate and so cries out for assiâ—…ance but the dead of the night favoureth his butcherly attempt when withdrawing his Sword hee redoubleth his cruelty and so againe runnes him in at the small of the belly thorow the reines whereat hee presently falls downe dead to his feete having the power to groane and crye but not to utter a word Which Belluile espying and knowing him dispatcht runnes to his horse which his Lackey held ready at the corner of the next streete and so rides to the same gate hee entred which was kept ready for him which passing hee with all expedition drives away for Orenge from whence the next morne before day hee takes poast for Aix the better to conceale and o're vaile this damnable Murther of his But this policie of his shall deceive his hopes and returne him a fatall reward and interest For although he can bleare the eyes of men yet he neither can nor shall those of God who in his due time will out of his sacred justice repay and punish him with confusion By this time the streete and neighbours have taken the allarum of this tragicall accident so Candles and Torches come from every where only Laurieta having played the Whore before will see me now though falsely to play the honest woman for she to cover her shame will not discover that her selfe or any of her house are stirring and so although shee understood this newes and privately and bytterly wept thereat yet shee keepes fast her doores and like an ingratefull strumpet will permit none of her servants for a long time to descend The Criminall Iudge and President of the Ciiy is advertised of this Murther The dead Gentleman is knowne to bee Mounsieur Poligny and being beloved hee is exceedingly bewayled of all who knew him and inquiry and search is made of all sides and the Lievtennant Criminall shewes himselfe wise because honest and curious because wise in the perquisition of this bloâ—…dy Murther but as yet time will not or rather God who is the Creator and giver of time is not as yet pleased to bring it to light only Laurieta knew and la Palasiere suspected and all those who were of the counsell of the one or the acquaintance of the other doe likewise both feare and suspect that onely Belluile was the bloody and execrable author thereof but to report or divulge so much although they dare they will not As for la Palasiere her thoughts are taken up and preoccupated with two severall passions for as she grieves at Poligny's death so shee rejoyceth that she hath no hand nor was any way accessary to his Murther rather that if hee had sayled
second letter in hope it may effect and procure his returne which her first could not and so calling for pen and paper she traceth thereon these few lines PERINA to CASTELNOVO SIth thou wilt not leave Malta to see Nice for my sake I have left Nice to live or rather to dye in Saint Iohn de Mauriene for thine 't is true my affection hath desired thy returne which thou hast not granted mee 't is as true that one to whom Nature hath given a prime and singular interest in thee and thee in him hath sought the defloration of mine honour which my heart and dutie have denied him Thou art confident of my affection to thee if thiâ—… had beene so faithfull and sâ—…rvent to my selfe neither sea nor land had had power to seperate 〈◊〉 If any prefermens bee dearer to thee then my life stay in Malta or if my life be dearer theâ—… it then returne to Saint Iohn de Mauriene where thou mayest finde mee for in Nice I will not bee found of thee Hadst thou not purposely mistaken the cause for the pretext in my importunitie of thy returne I would have digested it with farre more content and lesse affliction but sith neither â—…y â—…tion or honour hath power to â—…ffect it at least let the regard of my life sith that will not accompany mee if thou any longer absent thy selfe from mee make therfore haste to see thy Peâ—…ina if ever thou thinke to see her againe and let her beare this one content to her grave that shee may disclose thee a secret which but to thy selfe shee will conceale from all the world PERINA Whiles Sabia is againe speeding toward Malta with Perina's second Letter to her husband Castelnovo wee will a little speake of old Castelnovo the father who seeing his daughter in law Perina fled and consequently his hopes with her hee is extremely perplexed and afflicted hereat All the house and City is sought for her and hee himselfe breakes off the lockes of her Chamber doore where hee findes the nest but the bird flowne away her bed but not her selfe so as his thoughts doubly torment and astonish him first to be frustrated of his hopes and desires to injoy her then because shee will bewray his lascivious suite and affection to her Husband his sonne which of all sides will procure him not onely shame but infamy yea now it is although before he would not that he sees his errour and vanity in attempting to make shipwrack of her honour and chastity which is the Glory and should be the Palladium of Ladies but it is too late to recover her againe And therefore although hee know how to repent yet he is ignorant how to remedy or redeeme it sith his attempt and enterprise was not onely odious to God but infamous to men opposite to Grace and repugnant and contradictory to Nature Besides this his lustfull folly proceeding from himselfe lookes two wayes and hath a double reflection first on Perina the wife then on Castelnovo her husband and his owne sonne who he is assured will bee all fire hereat yea this crime of his is of so high and so beastly a nature as hee knowes not what to say to him or how to looke him in the face when he shall arrive from Malta which his guilty conscience tells him will bee shortly neither doth the Calculation or Arithmetick of his feare deceive him for by this time is Sabia againe arrived at Malta where hee delivers Castelnovo his wife's second Letter the which doth so nettle and sting his heart to the quicke at the bitter and unexpected newes it relates as hee esteemes himselfe no longer himselfe because hee is not with his deare wife who is the one halfe yea the greatest part of himselfe Wherefore admiring who in Nice yea in his fathers house should bee so impudently laseivious to seeke to blemish his honour in that of his Ladies hee making her sighes and teares his with all expedition and haste provides for his departure from Malta and yet his love his feare or both conducing and concurring in one makes him instantly resolve to dispatch and returne Sabia as the harbinger to proclaime his comming the which he doth and chargeth him with this Letter to his faire wife and deare Lady Perina CASTELNOVO to PERINA THy sudden departure from Nice to Saint Iohn de Mauriene doth equally afflict and amaze mee I burne with desire to know as well the Authour as the Cause thereof that I â—…ay likewise know how to right thee in revenging my selfe of him I have thought it fit to reâ—…rne Seignior Sabia againe to thee as soone as hee arrived to mee being ready within two dayes to imbarke as timely as himselfe so that if winde and Sea hate me not too much in more â—…ving and favouring him I am confident to bring and deliver thee my selfe as soone as hee shall bee this my Letter and judge whether I speake it from my heart and soule sith the estimation â—…f thy love and the preservation of thine honour make mee already deeme minutes moneths â—…nd houres yeares till my presence bee made happy with thine I come faire Perina sweet wife â—…nd deare Lady I come and if Heaven proove propitious to my most religious prayers and â—…sires here on Earth â—…ur meeting shall bee shortly as sweete and happy as our parting was bitter â—…d sorrowfull CASTELNOVO So according to this his Letter as first Sabia imbarkes from Malta to Nice before him so he likewise arrives at Genoua the day after he did at Nice from whence poasting o're the Mountaines hee arrives at Saint Iohn de Mauriene where at his father in law Arconeto's house he findes his deare and sweet Lady Perina who every minute of time with much impatient longing and desire expected his arrivall as having the night before received his second and last Letter by Sabia which advertised her thereof so like true and faithfull Turtle Doves esteeming each others presence their most soveraigne felicitie they fall to their billing and kisses to informe themselves how sweet this their happy meeting was each to other And here our Knight Castelnovo cannot bee so curious or hasty to inquire as his Lady Perina was to relate the cause of her sudden departure from Nice to Saint Iohn de Mauriene occasioned by the unnaturall lust and lasciviousnesse of his Father as wee have formerly understood the which with many sighs and teares shee depaints forth to him in all its circumstances and colours Hee is amazed at this strange and unexpected newes and farre the more to think that his owne father should in the winter of his age attempt or seeke to defile his honour and bed in the person of this his faire and chast Lady Perina he wondereth to see so little grace in so many yeares and that if Nature had not yet Religion should have had power to banish these lascivious thoughts from his heart and memory so with out-spred armes he tenderly
lesse doth his father Castelnovo for that of his sonne onely their griefes comformable to their passions are diametrically different and opposite for hers were fervent and true as proceeding from the sinceritie of her affection and his hypocriticall and faigned as derived from the profundity of his malice and revenge towards him And not to transgresse from the Decorum and truth of our History old Castelnovo could not so artificially beare and over-vaile his sorrowes for his Sonnes death but the premises considered our young afflicted widdow and Lady vehemently suspecteth hee hath a hand therein and likewise partly beleeves that Ierantha is likewise accessary and ingaged therein in respect she lookes more aloft and is growne more familiar with her Lord and Master then before And indeed as her sorrows increase her jealousie so her jealousie throws her into a passionate and violent resolution of Revenge both against him and her if shee can bee futurely assured that they had Murthered and poysoned the Knight her husband Now to bee assured heereof shee thus reasoneth with her selfe that if her Father in law were the Murtherer of his Sonne her husband his malice and hatred to him proceeded from his beastly lust to her selfe and that hee now dispatched hee would againe shortly revive and renew his old lascivious suit to her which if hee did shee vowes to take a sharpe and cruell Revenge of him which shee will limit with no lesse then his death And indeed wee shall not goe farre to see the event and truth answer her suspicion For within a moneth or two after her husband was laid in his untimely grave his old lustfull and lascivious father doth againe burst and vomit forth his beastly sollicitations against her chastity and honour which observing shee somewhat disdainefully and coyly puts him off but yet not so passionately nor chollerickely as before onely of purpose to make him the more eager in his pursuit thereby the better to draw him to her lure that shee might perpetrate her malice and act her Revenge on him and so make his death the object of her rage and indignation as his lust and malice were the cause of the sorrowes of her life But unfortunate and miserable Lady what a bloudy and hellish enterprize dost thou ingage thy selfe in and why hath thy affection so blinded thy conscience and soule to make thy selfe the authour and actour of so mournefull and bloudy a Tragedy For alas alas sweet Perina I know not whether more to commend thy affection to thy husband or condemne thy cruell malice intended to his father For O griefe O pitty where are thy vertues where is thy Religion where thy conscience thy soule thy God thus to give thy selfe over to the hellish tentations of Satan Thou which heretofore fled'st from adultery wilt thou now follow Murther or because thy heart would not bee accessary to that shall thy soule bee now so irreligious and impious to bee guilty of this But as her father in law is resolute in his lust towards her so is shee likewise in her revenge towards him and farre the more in that shee perceives Ierantha's great belly sufficiently proclaimes that shee hath plaid the strumpet and which is worse shee feares with her execrable and wretched Father in Law so as now no longer able to stop the furious and impetuous current of her revenge shee is so gracelesse and bloudy as shee vowes first to dispatch the Lord and Master then the Wayting-Gentlewoman as her thoughts and soule suggest her they had done first the Mother then the Sonne so impious are her thoughts so inhumane and bloudy her resolutions Now in the interim of this time the old Lecher her father is againe become impudent and importunate in his suit so our wretched Lady Perina degenerating from her former vertues and indeed from her selfe she after many requests and sollicitations very feignedly seemes to yeild and strike sayle to his desire but indeed with a bloody intent to dispach him out of this world So having concluded this sinfull fatall Match there wants nothing but the finishing and accomplishing thereof onely they differ in the manner and circumstances the Father is desirous to goe to the Daughter in lawes bed the Daughter to the Father in lawes but both conclude that the night and not the day shall give end to this lascivious and beastly businesse his reason is to avoyd the jealousie and rage of Ierantha whom now although she bee neere her time of deliverance hee refuseth to marry her but the Lady Perina's if that she may pollute and staine his owne bed with his bloud and not hers but especially because shee may have the fitter meanes to stab and murther him and hereon they conclude To which end not only the night but the houre is appoynted betwixt them which being come and Castelnovo in bed burning with impatience and desire for her arrivall hee thinking on nothing but his beastly pleasures nor she but on her cruell malice and revenge she softly enters his chamber but not in her night but her day attire having a Pisa Ponyard close in her fleeve when having bolted his Chamber doore because none should divert her from this her bloudy designe she approaching his bed and hee lifting himselfe up purposely to welcome and kisse her shee seeing his brest open and naked like an incensed fury drawes out her Ponyard and uttering these words Thou wretched Whore-master and Murtherer this life of mine owne honour and the death of my deare Knight and husband thy some And so stabbing him at the heart with many blowes shee kills him starke dead and leaves him reeking in his hot bloud without giving him time to speake a word onely hee fetcht a screeke and groane or two as his soule tooke her last farewell of his body Which being over-heard of the servants of the house they ascend his chamber and finde our inhumane Perina issuing foorth all gored with the effusion of his bloud having the bloudy Ponyard which was the fatall Instrument of this cruell Murther in her hand They are amazed at this bloody and mournefull spectacle so they seize on her and the report hereof flying thorow the City the Criminall Iudges that night cause her to bee imprisoned for the fact which she is resolved no way to denye but to acknowledge as rather glorying then grieving thereat Ierantha at the very first understanding hereof vehemently suspects that her two poysoning Murthers will now come to light and so as great as her belly is she to provide for her safety very secretly steales away to a deare friends house of hers in the City which now from all parts rattleth and resoundeth of this cruell and unnaturall Murther yea it likewise passeth the Alpes and is speedily bruited and knowne in Saint Iohn de Mauriene where although her father Arconeto would never heretofore affect her yet he now exceedingly grieves at this her bloudy attempt and imminent danger but her irregular affection and
walked by his Horse side are so busie in lifting him up and rubbing the temples of their dead Master as they forget the research and inquiry for his murtherer but the Assistants and standers by hearing the report of the Peece and not onely seeing the smoke in the window and ayre but this noble Gentleman dead in the street they ascend the house finde the Petronell on the Table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fled upon a swâ—… Spanish Gennet by the back doore they of the house affirming with teares that they knew not the Gentleman that did it neither was it iâ—… their powers to stop or prevent his escape This Fatall and mournefull newes dispersed and spred o're the City of Rome the Serjeaâ—…s and Captaines guard are busie to finde out the Murtherer who by this time they know to bee Seignior Bertolini but being gallantly mounted hee speedes away thorow the streeâ—…s amaine and is so farre from despaire as hee makes no doubt but to recover the Lateran Gate and to escape this his second danger as fortunately as he â—…id his first by flying into the Kingdome of Naples but his hopes shall deceive him for if hee bought Brellati's Muâ—…her â—…t an easie rate God hath now ordained and decreed that he shall pay deare for this his second of Sturio and â—…o here the impetuous storme of Gods just revenge and indignation now befalls him when he least feares or thinkes thereof The manner thus As hee was swiftly galloping thorow Campo de 〈◊〉 the publike place where the Pope that Antichrist of Rome burnes the children of God for the profession of his glorious Gospell and being at the farther end thereof with an intent to draw towards the backe side of the Capitoll behold two Brick layers building of a house upon a Scaffold two Stories high in the street as Bertolini passed both the Scaffold and the two Brick layers fell downe upon him and his horse and so beat them both to the ground but as yet the newes of Sturio's Murther was not arrived thither so as danger and feare making Bertolini forget the hurt of his fall hee againe riseth up and calls for his horse which was speedily brought him so leaping into the Saddle he spurres away with as much celerity as his Gennet could possibly drive under him But if hee have escaped this first judgement of God hee shall not the second for having past the Capitoll and the Amphitheater his Gennet â—…twixt that and the Lateran fell under him which putting his shoulder out of joynt the poore afflicted Beast could not râ—… with his Master who by this time is more afflicted and grieved then the harmelesse Gennet hee rides upon Whereupon being amazed and fearing that the search would instantly follow and surprise him hee leaving his horse betakes himselfe to his owâ—… heeles and so with much terrour both of minde and conscience hee knowes not whither to goe or where to hide himselfe but at last considering that the greateâ—… dangers have neede of the least distraction and most discretion hee thinkes to 〈◊〉 on his right hand to Horta Farnesi or the Gardens and Orchards which belong â—…o that illustrious Family but then againe fearing to meet with a wooden face in stead of finding an open doore hee leaves that resolution and as fast as his legs and feet can beare him flies on his left hand up towards Nero's Tower so famous for that Emperours infamy in standing thereon when hee delighted to see all Rome on fire and here in the ruines and demolitions of an infinite number of Palaces Churches and other stupendious buildings our murtherous Bertolini hides and hâ—…sheth up himselfe hoping if the day were past to escape and recover some secret friends house by night But God is too just to let this his cruell fact passe unrevenged and this bloudy Murtherer unpunished for hee hath scarce beene there halfe an houre but hee is knowne there found out and hemm'd in of all sides by the Captaine 's Guard arm'd with Partisans and Pistols Heere Bertolini considering himselfe a Romane Gentleman would fayne have made some resistance with his Rapier but seeing their numbers to increase and himselfe alone as also that it would fâ—…rther augment his crime and exasperate his Iudges against him hee at thâ—…r first 〈◊〉 delivereth up his Rapier and yieldes and rendereth himselfe into their hands who presently convey him to prison where hee shall have but little time to thinke of his hainous and bloudy Murthers e're wee shall see him brought forth and arraigned before his Iudges but in the Interim all Rome is possessed and informed hereof So the second morne of Bertolini his imprisonment hee is fetcht before his Iudges where at first the Devill is so strong with him as hee once thought to have denyed this Murther of Sturio but God proving more mercifull to his soule hee upon his Iudges grave and religious remonstrances with many sighes and teares freely confesseth it humbly beseeching them to take pittie of his young yeeres and that it was onely the heate of youth and the vanity of his ambitious honour which had thus betrayed and seduced his soule to perpetrate this cruell and impious Murther and for the which he extremely and bitterly repented himselfe But the arrow of Gods wrath and Revenge is now fully bent against Bertolini as his bullets were against Sturio so as his sacred Majesty causing his Iudges to resemble themselves they are deafe to his requests and tell him it is not his youth or his ambition but the Devill that hath seduced and drawne him to performe this bloudy Murther and so for expiation thereof they in consideration hee is a Roman Gentleman nobly descended will not hang him but adjudge his two hands to bee cut off before the house where hee shot at Sturio and then to bee beheaded at the common place of execution at the foote of Saint Angelos bridge his head to bee set upon a pole over Saint Iohn de Laterans gate and his body to bee throwne into Tiber which the next day was accordingly executed in presence of many thousand people of both sexes and of all ranks notwithstanding the importunate sollicitations which his father made to Cardinall Borghese the Pope Paulus Quintus Nephew to the contray who was too noble and generous to assist him in so base and ignoble a Murther And these were the lives and deaths of these three unfortunate Roman Gentlemen Brellati Sturio and Bertolini and of that beautifull chaste and sorrowfull Lady Paulina And here to conclude and shut up this their mournefull History I have beene informed that the curious wits of Rome made many exquisite Epitaphs upon the deaths of Sturio and Paulina as also that Bertolini made a religious and most Christian speech at his end of which I must confesse I was not so happy to recover the sight or copies of either for if I had I would not have failed to have inserted and placed them at the end of this their
and counsell and to send it him by the ordinary Carrier of Tholouse which was then in that Cittie bound thither from Paris his letter spake thus 〈◊〉 to DE SALEZ IT is out of a fatherly and as I may say a religious care of thy good that I now send thee these few ensuing lines for thy Youth cannot see that which my Age knowes how many miseries are subject to wait and attend on Vice and how many blessings on Vertue if La Frange be not faire yet she is comely not contemptible but sith her defects of Nature are so richly recompensed with the Ornaments of Fortune and the excellencies of Grace why should thy affection preferre La Hay before her who hath nothing but a painted face to overvaile the deformity of her other vices If thou wilâ—… leave a Saint to marry a strumpet then take La Hay and forsake La Frange but if thou wilt forsake a strumpet to take a Saint then marry La Frange and leave La Hay for looke what difference there is betweene their births thou shalt finde ten times more betweene the chastity of the one and the levity of the other If thou espouse the first thou shalt find Content and Honour if the second shame and repentance â—…or I know not whether La Frange will bring thee more happinesse or La Hay misery This letter shall serve as a witnesse betwixt God myselfe and thee that if thou performe me not thy promise and oath I will deny thee my blessing and deprieve thee of my lands ARGENTIER De Salez having received this his fathers letter in Tholouse exceedingly grieves to see him disgrace his mistresse by the scandalous name of a strumpet which hee knowes she is not and therefore will never beleeve it yea he vowes that if it were any other in the world who had offered him that intollerable affront hee would revenge it though with the price and perill of his life La Hay perceives this discontent and alteration of mirth in him but from what point of the Compasse this wind proceeds she neither knowes nor as yet can conceive but withall determineth to make the discovery thereof her greatest Ambition and not her least Care which she now well knowes it behooves her to doe sith she finds De Salez lesse free and more reserved and pensive in her speeches than accustomed But when in vaine she had hereunto used many smiles and feâ—…ches loâ—… here falls out an unlook't for accident which bewrayes her the very pith and quintescence of the Mistery For on a time when hee lay slumbering on the table shee as accustomed diving into his pockets for sweet meats or rather for gold of both which he many times went well furnished she finds his fathers aforesaid letter which she knew by the direction and so flying into another chamber and bolting the doore after her she there reads it both with griefe and choller when stunge to the quicke and bitten to the heart and gall to see her reputation and Honour thus traduced and scandalized by the father of her pretended husband she with teares and interjected sighes and grones flies backe to De Salez and holding the letter in her hand like a dissembling and impious strumpet as she was there shewes it him takes Heaven and Earth to beare witnesse of her innocency and of the irreparable and extreame wrong his father hath offered her in seeking to ecclips the Glory of her chastity which she sweares she will beare pure and unspotted not onely to his bed but to her owne grave But Alas alas these are the effects and passions of dissimulation not of truth of her prophanenesse not of her piety which time will make apparent to De Salez though now her beauty and teares be so predominate with his judgement and folly as he cannot because he will not see it So being still as constant in his â—…ottishnesse as she in her hypocrisie he gives her many sweet kisses and with a Catalogue of sugred words seekes to appease and comfort her whom he hath farre more reason to excerate and curse But for her part her heart is not so afflicted for remembring her selfe still her â—…its are her owne and so remembring the conclusion of the letter and fearing that De Salâ—…z his promise and oath to his father might infringe and contradict his to her she tels him that her love is so fervent and infinite towards him as shee can give no intermission nor truce to her teares before he reveale her his oath and promise which his fathers letter informed her he had formerly made him De Salez seeing himselfe put to so strict an exigent and push doth both blush for shame and againe looke pale for anger when for a small time irresolute how to beare himselfe in a matter of this different Nature wherein hee must either violate his obedience to his father or infringe his fidelity and honour to his mistris hee at last consenting with folly not with discretion and with Vanity nor with Iudgement doth so adore her beauty and commiserate her teares as he sottishly reveales her his oath given his father Verbatim as we have formerly understood it adding withall that she hath far more reason to rejoyce than grieve hereat That a little time shall cancell his said late promise and oath to his father and confirme his former to her For sweet La Hay quoth he come what come will two moneths shall never passe ere I marry thee when sealing his speaches with many kisses our hypocriticall afflicted Gentlewoman is presently againe come to her selfe and in all outward appearance her discontents are removed her choller pacified her teares exhaled and her sighes evaporated and blowne away But all this is false like her selfe and treacherous like her beauty For this letter of Argentier to his sonne and his promise and oath to his father hath acted such wonders in her heart and imprinted such extravagancies in her thoughts as she cannot easily remove or supplant it nor difficultly forget or deface it whatsoever she speake or make shew of to the contrary for thus she reasoneth with her selfe That 〈◊〉 whoredomes are already revealed to Argentier and for any thing she knowes â—…y likewise be discovered to his son how closely soever she either act or conceale them That La Franges descent wealth and vertues will in the end overprise and weigh downe her meane extraction poverty and beauty and in the end that the wisdome of the father will infallibly triumph ore the folly of the sonne except her pollicy interpose and her vigilency prevent it which to prevent and effect she sees no other obstacle to her content nor barre to her preâ—…erment but only La Frange for quoth she if La Frange shine in the firmament of De Salez affection La Hay must set or if La Hay will shine La Frange must set againe if she fall not I cannot stand and if she stand I must needs fall and as the skie is
both cry and groane which he did very mournfully and which indeed was soone over-heard by a man and a maid-servant of his who only remained in the house who hearing their masters voyce and hastily running up at these his pittifull and lamentable out cryes steping to his assistance they heare him with his best power utter these fearefull speeches That Strumpet my wife hath kill'd me O that shee-Devill my wife hath murthered mee Whereat they cry out at the windowes to the neighbours for helpe alledging that their master is murthered The neighbours assemble and heare him report so much so they send away for his Confessor and the Lieutenant Criminall to both whom he againe confesseth That it is the Strumpet his wife who hath murthered him And then raising himselfe up in his bed with as much strength as his dying wound would permit him he taking them both by the hands with infinite signes and teares reveales to them that he it was who at the seducing of the Devill had stifled his father Argentier to death in Paris that he did it onely to marry this whoore his murtherous wife La Hay that the killing of his father yea the very remembrance thereof infinitely grieves his heart and soule and for the which he infinitely repenteth himselfe and beseecheth the Lord of mercy in mercy to forgive it him and likewise prayed all that were present to pray unto God for him and these were his last words for now his fleeting and fading breath would permit him to say no more All that were present are amazed at this lamentable confession of his to see that hee should murther his father and his execrable wife well neere himselfe so they all glorified God for the detection and discovery hereof But the Lievtenant Criminell and the Counsellors his Associates step to the window and consult to have him hanged whiles he is yet living for the murthering of his father But De Salez saves them that labour for there and then he sinkes into his bed and dyes away before them so they instantly search the house and City for this wretched Murtheresse La Hay whom impious and bloody strumpet they at last find in the Dominican Friers Church at a Sermon from whence with much obloquy and indignity they dragge her to prison where they charge her with the murther of her husband De Salez which the Devill as yet will not permit her to confesse but being adjudged by them to the Racke she at the very first torment confesseth it Upon which severall murthers the Criminell Iudges of the Tournells proceed to sentence so first they adjudge the dead body of De Salez for so inhumanly murdring his father Argentier to be halfe a day hang'd by the heeles to the common gallows and then to bee burnt to ashes which is accordingly executed then they adjudge his wife La Hay for murthering him the next day to bee strangled then burnt so that night some Divines deale with her in prison about the state of her soule whom they finde infinitely obdurated through the vanity of her youth and the temptations of the Devill but they worke effectually with her and so at last by the mercies of God draw her to contrition and repentance when willing her not to charge her soule with the concealing of any other crime and shewing her the dangers thereof she very freely yet sorrowfully confesseth how she it was that for three hundred crownes had caused the Empericke Michaele to poyson La Frange for the which she told them she was now exceedinglie repentant and sorrowfull Whereof the Divines sith it was not delivered them under the seale of Confession advertising the Judges they all wonder at Gods providence to see how all these murthers are discovered and burst forth one in the necke of the other so they alter her sentence and for these her double murthers they condemne her to have her right hand cut off and then to be burnt alive and so they make curious inquiry and research to apprehend this old bloody varlet Michaele In the meane time that very afternoone this miserable and murtherous Curtesan La Hay though to the griefe of her sorrowfull father and sisters yet to the joy of all Tholouse is brought and fastned to her stake where her hand being first strucke off she with many sighes and teares delivereth these few words That her crimes were so foule and odious as she was ashamed to looke either God or man in the face That she was very sorrowfull for causing La Frange to be poysoned as also for murthering of her husband De Salez whose wealth she onely affirmed she loved but not himselfe the which she wholly attributed to the lust and vanitie of her youth to her neglect of prayer and forsaking of God which made the Deuill so strong with her and she with the Deuill and which was the sole cause and ground of this her miserable ruine and destruction she with teares and prayers besought the Lord to be good unto her soule and lifting up her eyes and hands to Heaven likewise beseech the whole assembly to pray heartily unto God for her when recommending her soule into the hands of her Redeemer the fire being alighted her body was soone consumed to ashes whose lamentable yet just end and punishment caused a number of spectators to weepe as yet pitying her youth and beautie as much as they detested the enormitie of her crimes And now for this devillish and murtherous Empericke Michaele although as soone as he heard of La Hayes imprisonment he to save him selfe left Tholouse and fled towards Castres disguised in a Friers habit with his beard shaven yet by the care of the Court of Parliament or rather by the immediate finger and providence of God he is found out and brought backe to Tholouse where for poysoning of La Frange the which he now without the Racke confesseth he is adjudged to be broken on the Wheele there to remaine till he be dead and then his body to be throwne into the River of Garrone the which the same day is accordingly executed and performed to the infinite joy of all the spectators but as hee lived an Atheist so he desperately died a Devill without any shew at all either of contrition or repentance onely hee vomited forth this wretched speech That because the world had so much to say to him he would say nothing to the world but bade the Executioner dispatch him Now by the sight of this mournefull and bloody History the Christian Reader may observe and see how Gods revenge doth still triumph against murther and how he in his due time and providence doth assuredly still detect and punish it It is a History which may serve to deterre and forwarne all yong Gentlemen not to frequent the companies of whores and strumpets and all sonnes not to transgresse the will of their parents much lesse not dare to lay violent hands on them It is a glasse wherein yong Gentlewomen and Wives may
hee will die his faithfull servant But wee shall see him have more grace than to keepe so gracelesse a promise Carpi flattering himselfe with the fidelity and affection of his Laquay resolves to stay in the City but hee shall shortly repent his confidence Hee was formerly betrayed by Fiesco which mee thinks should have made him more cautious and wise and not so simple to entrust and repose his life on the incertaine mercy of Lorenzo's tongue but Gods Revenge drawes neare him and consequently he neare his end for he neither can nor shall avoid the judgement of Heaven Lorenzo on the gallowes will not charge his soule with this foule and execrable sinne of murther but Grace now operating with his soule as much as formerly Satan did with his heart hee confesseth that hee and the Baron of Carpi his Master together with the Knight Monte-leone and his Laquay Anselmo murthered the Captaine Benevente and his man Fiamento and threw them into the Quarrie the which hee takes to his death is true and so using some Christian-like speeches of repentance and sorrow he is hanged Lorenzo is no sooner turned over but the Criminall Iudges advertised of his speeches delivered at his death they command the Baron of Carpi his lodging to be beleagred where he is found in his study and so apprehended and committed prisoner where feare makes him looke pale so as the Peacocks plumes both of his pride and courage strike saile He is againe put to the Racke and now the second time hee reveales his foule and bloudy murther and in every point acknowledgeth Lorenzoes accusation of him to be true So he is condemned first to have his right hand cut off and then his head notwithstanding that many great friends of his sue to the Viceroy for his pardon The night before he was to die the next morne one of his Judges was sent to him to prison to perswade him to discover all his complices in that murther besides Monte-leone and his Laquay Anselmo yea there are likewise some Divines present who with many religious exhortations perswade him to it So Grace prevailes with Nature and Righteousnesse with Impiety and sinne in him that he is now no longer himselfe for contrition and repentance hath reformed him hee will rather disrespect Caelestina than displease God whereupon he affirmes that she and her deceased sister Fidelia drew him and Monte-leone to murther their father and his man Fiamento and that if it had not beene for their allurements and requests they had never attempted either the beginning or end of so bloudy a businesse and thus making himselfe ready for Heaven and grieving at nothing on Earth but at the remembrance of his foule fact he in the sight of many thousand people doth now lose his head This Tragedy is no sooner acted and finished in Naples but the Judges of this City send away poast to those of Otranto to seize on the Lady Caelestina who in the absence of her husband for the most part lived there A Lady whom I could pitie for her youth and beauty did not the foulenesse of her fact so foulely disparage and blemish it She is at that instant at a Noblemans house at the solemnitie of his daughters marriage where she is apprehended imprisoned and accused to bee the authour and plotter of the Captaine her fathers death neither can her teares or prayers exempt her from this affliction and misery She was once of opinion to deny it but understanding that the Baron of Carpi and his Laquay Lorenzo were already executed for the same in Naples shee with a world of teares freely confesseth it and confirmes as much as Carpi affirmed whereupon in expiation of this her inhumane Paracide she is condemned to have her head cut off her body burnt and her ashes throwne into the ayre for a milder death and a lesse punishment the Lord will not out of his Justice inflict vpon her for this her horrible crime and barbarous cruelty committed on the person of her owne father or at least seducing and occasioning it to be committed on him and it is not in her husbands possible power to exempt or free her hereof Being sent backe that night to prison she passeth it over or in very truth the greatest part thereof in prayer still grieving for her sinnes and mourning for this her bloudy offence and crime and the next morne being brought to her execution when she ascended the scaffold she was very humble sorrowfull and repentant and with many showres of teares requested her brother Alcasero and all her kinsfolkes to forgive her for occasioning and consenting to her fathers death and generally all the world to pray for her when her sighs and teares so sorrowfully interrupted and silenced her tongue as she recommending her soule into the hands of her Redeâ—…mer whom she had so heynously offended shee with great humility and contrition kneeling on her knees and lifting up her eyes and hands towards heaven the Executioner with his sword made a double divorce betwixt her head and her body her body and her soule and then the fire as if incensed at so fiery a spirit consumed her to ashes and her ashes were throwne into the ayre to teach her and all the world by her example that so inhumane and bloudy a daughter deserved not either to tread on the face of this Earth or to breathe this ayre of life She was lamented of all who either knew or saw her not that she should die but that she should first deserve then suffer so shamefull and wretched a death and yet shee was farre happier than her sister Fidelia for shee despaired and this confidently hoped for remission and salvation Thus albeit this wretched and execrable young Gentlewoman lived impiously yet she died Christianly wherefore let vs thinke on that with detestation and on this with charity And here wee see how severely the murther of Captaine Benevente was by Gods just revenge punished not onely in his two daughters who plotted it but also in the two Noblemen and their two Laquayes who acted it Such attempts and crimes deserve such ends and punishments and infallibly finde them The onely way therefore for Christians to avoid the one and contemne the other is with sanctified hearts and unpolluted hands still to pray to God for his Grace continually to affect prayer and incessantly to practise piety in our thoughts and godlinesse in our resolutions and actions the which if wee be carefull and conscionable to performe God will then shrowd us under the wings of his favour and so preserve and protect us with his mercy and providence as we shall have no cause to feare either Hell or Satan GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XV. Maurice like a bloudy villaine and damnable sonne throwes his Mother Christina into a Well and drownes her the same hand and arme of his wherewith he did it rots away from his body aad being discrased of
but to all Portugall And thus most pensively and disconsolately is Idiaques reconveyed to his prison where Church-men are sent him by the Iudges of that court to direct his soule in her slight and transsiguration from earth to Heaven whom they finde or at least â—…hey make very humble mournefull and repentant According to which sentence he is the next morning brought to the place of execution which for the greater example and terrour to others and of ignominy to himselfe was before his owne house wherein he had acted and perpetrated all his enormous crimes Where the scaffold is no sooner erected but there flocke an infinite number of people from all parts of the City to be spectators of this last scene of his Tragedy He came to the scaffold betweene two Friers in a sute of blacke Taffeta a gowne of blacke wrought tuffe Taffeta and a great white set ruffe which yet could not be whiter than his broad beard At his ascent on the scaffold his grave aspect and presence engendred as much sorrow pity as his beastly crimes did detestation in the hearts and tongues of the people to whom after hee had a short time kneeled downe and prayed he made a short speech to this effect That although the poysoning of his owne wife and his adultery with his sons wife were crimes so odious and execrable as had made him unworthy any longer either to tread on earth or to look up unto Heaven yet although he deserved no favour of his Judges for his bodie he humbly repented and begged some of God for his soule and for the more effectuall obtaining thereof hee zealously prayed all those who were present to joyne their prayers to his Hee confessed that it was Marsillia's beauty which first at the instigation of the devill drew him to that adultery with her and this poysoning of his owne wife Honoria whereof from his heart and soule he now affirmed hee implored remission of God of the Law of his sonne Don Ivan and of all the world and prayed them all to be more godly and lesse sinfull by his example and so kneeling downe and praying a little whiles to himselfe he rose up and putting of his gowne ruffe and doublet which hee gave to the Executioner hee binding his head and eyes with his handkerchiefe bade him doe his office which he presently performed and with one blow of the sword made a perpetuall double divorce betwixt his head and his shoulders his body and his soule when presently according to his sentence both his head and his body were then and there burnt and consumed to fire and his ashes throwne into the ayre And this was the deplorable life and death of De Perez Idiaques and Marsillia of whom the spectators according to their severall humours and affections spake diversly all condemning the bloudy cruelty of De Perez towards innocent Mathurina and of Idiaques towards his vertuous wife Honoria Againe some pitied and others execrated Marsillia's youth beauty and lust but both sexes and all degrees of people as so many lines terminating in one Center magnified the providence and Justice of God in so miraculously and condignly cutting off these monsters of nature and bloudy butchers of mankinde And if the curiosity of the Reader will yet farther enquire what afterwards became of Don Ivan The reports of him are different for as first I heard that his discontent and griefe was so great yea so extreame for the death of his Parents and wife that he cloistered himselfe up a Capuchin Fryer in their Monastery at Madrid So contrariwise I have since credibly beene enformed that he shortly after these disasters left Spaine and still lives in Santarem in Portugall in great honour welfare and prosperity But which of these his resolutions are most inclining and adherent to the truth it passeth beyond my knowledge and therefore shall come too short of my affirmation GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XVII Harcourt steales away Masserina his brother Vimoryes wife and keepes her in Adulterie She hireth Tivoly an Italian Mountebanke to poyson La Precoverte who was Harcourts wife Harcourt kils his brother Vimory and then marries his widdow Masserina Tivoly is hanged for a robbery and at his execution accuseth Masserina for hiring him to poyson La Precoverte for the which shee is likewise hanged Noel who was Harcourts man on his death-bed suspecteth and accuseth his said Master for killing of his brother Vimory whereof Harcourt being found guilty he is broken alive on a wheele for the same MAn being the Workemanship and figurative Image of God what an odious sinne yea what an execrable crime is it therefore for one out of the heate of his malice or fumes of his revenge to poyson or murther another sith Nature doth stronglie impugne and Grace with a high hand infinitely contradict it Therefore were not our hearts and understandings either wholly deprived of Common sence or our soules of the gratious assistance and favour of God wee would not thus so furiously and prophanely make our selves guilty of these infernall sins but rather with our best endevours would seeke to avoid them as Hell and with our most pious resolutions to hate and detest them as the Divell himselfe who is the prime Authour and Actor thereof But some such monsters of Nature and Disciples of Sathan there are here on Earth A fearefull and lamentable Example whereof this ensuing History will shew us The which may all good Christians read to Gods glory and remember to the instruction of their Soules THere is a parish tearmed Saint Symplician a mile from the Citie of Sens in the Dutchy of Burgundy which is honoured with the title and See of an Archbishop where within these few yeares there dwelt and died an aged Gentleman more Noble by birth than rich in Estate and Demaynes termed Monseiur De Vimory who left onely two sonnes behinde him the eldest named Monâ—…eiur Dâ—… Harcourt and the second Monseiur De Hautemont who were two very proper young Gentlemen excellently well bred and qualified as well in Arts as Armes or in any other vertue or perfection which was requisite both to shew and approve themselves to bee the sonnes of their father And to content my Reader with their characters Harcourt was tall but not well favoured but of a milde and singular good disposition Hautemont was of a middle stature neatly timbred of a sweet and amiable countenance but by nature hasty and head-strong Harcourt had a light Aubrnn beard which like a Countrey Gentleman he wore negligently after the Ovall cut Hautemont had a coale blacke beard which Courtier-like he wore in forme of an invaled Pyramides Harcourt was thirty two yeares of age very chaste and honest Hautemont was twenty five but many times given to women and ready to bee deboshed and drawne away by any though but of an indifferent quality and complexion To Harcourt the eldest son their father gave his
anger So he conjures him to perpetuall secrecie and silence of this proposition and businesse which Noell promiseth but sweares not Hereupon Harcourt to approach neerer to Sens He and Masserina leave Nevers and very secretly by litle Iournies and the greatest part by night come to Mascon and there his heart strikes a bargaine with the Divell and the Divell with his soule and resolutions to ride over himselfe to Sens and there with his owne hands to pistoll his Brother Vimory to death in the fields or if his Bullets misse him then to finish and perpetrate it with his owne Sword O wretched Gentleman O execrable Brother thus to make thy Hope and Charitie prove bankrupt to thy Soule and thy Faith unto God But nothing wil prevaile with Harcourt to diswade him from this bloody busines Whereunto the damnable treacherie and malice of Masserina impetuouslie precipitates and hastens him onwards although it be against her owne Husband So he leaves Mascon and in a disguised beard and poore sute of apparell comes to Saint Symplician purposely leaving Sens a litle on his left hand Where waiting for his Brother Vimory at the end of a pleasant wood of his a litle halfe mile from his house where he knew he was accustomed to walk alone by himselfe solitarily He personating and acting the part of a poore begging Souldier and counterfeiting his tongue aswel as his beard and apparel with his hat in his hand espying his Brother he goes towards him with an humble resolution and requesteth an Almes of him Which Vimory seeing and hearing hee in meere charitie and compassion of him because he saw him to be though a poore yet a proper man which is more a Souldier drawes forth his purse and whiles he lookes therein for some small peece of silver Harcourt as a Disciple of the Devill very softly drawes out his litle pistoll out of his left sleeve which he covered with his hat and having charged it with two bullets hee lets flie at him and so shooâ—… him in the truncke of his body a little under the heart of which two wounds he presently fell dead to the ground being as unfortunate in his death as his brother was miserable diabolicall in giving it him for he only fetched two groanes but had neither the power or happinesse to speake one word And the Divell in the catastrophie of this mournefull Tragedie was so strong with Harcourt as his malice towards his Brother Vimory exceeded not onely malice but rage and fury it selfe for fearing he was not yet dead he twice ran him thorow the body with his sword When leaving his breathlesse body all goring in his hot reeking blood he with all possible celeritie takes his horse which he had tied out of sight to a tree not farre off and so with all possible speed gallops away to his now intended wife Masserina at Mascon who triumphs with ioy at his relation of this good newes the which to her yea to them both is equally pleasing and delectable But God will not permit that these wretched joyes and triumphes of theirs shall lâ—…st long This cruell murther of Monseiur Vimory is some two houres after knowne at his house and Parish of Saint Symplician as also in the City of Sens and so dispersed 〈◊〉 all Burgundy and the murtherers narrowly sought after but in vaine Harcourt and Masserina meet with these reports at Mascon but yet they hold it discretion and safetie a small time longer to conceale themselves secretly in that Towne and so to suffer the heate of this newes to passe over and bee blowne away But at the end of two moneths Harâ—…t setting a milke white face upon his bloody fact arrives at Sons and from thence to his maâ—…or house of Saint Symplician which now by the death of his Brother Vimorye who died without issue wholly devolved and fell to him Who having formerly plaid the Devill in murthering his said Brother he now as infernally plaies the Hypocrite in mourning for his death making so wonderfull an outward shew and demonstration of sorrow for the same as he and all his servants being dighted in blackes A moneth after hee sends for his good Sister in Law Masserina who comes home to him and they seeme so absolutely strange each to other as if they had never seene one another during all the long time of their absence and shee likewise seemes to drowne her selfe in her teares and is likewise all in blackes for the death of her Husband But God in his due time will pull off this their false maske and detect and revenge both their horrible Sinnes of Adulterie and Murther Now as close as they conceale this their dishonourable fleight and departure yet it discovered and found out and held so odious so foule to all the Gentlemen and Ladies their neighbours who yet know nothing of their murthers as they disdaine to welcome them home or which is lesse to see them which they both are inforced with griefe to observe as holding it to be the reflection of their owne disgrace and scandall the which henceforth to prevent they within two moneths after sends for their Ghostly fathers as also for two Iesuites and the Vicar of their parish and acquaint them with their desires and resolutions to marry But these Ecclesiastiques affirme it to be directly opposite to the Rules and Canons of the holy Catholique Roman Church for one Brother to marry the widdow of another as also against the written law of God and therefore they utterly seeke both to perswade and diswade them from it as being wholly unlawfull and ungodly and so refuse to Consent thereto much lesse to performe it without a dispensation from the Pope or his Nuntio now resident at Paris They cause the Nuntio to be dealt with about it but hee peremptorily refuseth it But in favour of money and strong friends within three monethes they procure it from Rome and so they are speedily marryed now thinking and withall beleeving and triumphing that this their nuptiall knot hath power to deface and redeeme all their former Adulteries and now wholly wiped off their disgrace and scandall with the world And therefore in their owne vaine and impious conceits are secure and abound in wealth delight and pleasure But as yet they have not made their peace with God Come we therefore first to the detection and discovery of these their bloudy crimes of murther and then to the condigne punishments which they received for the same Whereof the manner briefly is thus It is many times the pleasure and providence of God to punish one sinne in and by another yea and sometimes one sinne for another the which wee shall now see apparant in this bloudy and hellish Itallian Mountebancke Tivoly who repayring to the great Faire of Sens and there beginning to professe his Emperie to a rich Goldsmithes wife of that City named Monseiur de Boys hee the third day stole a small casket of Jewels and
disparity there is betwixt Earth and Heaven By the pleasure and visitation of God Hee is suddenly taken extreame sicke of a pestilent Feaver but not in his Master Harcourts house but in his owne Fathers house who dweltsome foure leagues thence at a parish called Saint Lazare and his Phisition yeelding him a dead man hee as a religious Roman Catholicke takes the extreame Vnction and then prepares himselfe to dye But hee is so morall and so good a Christian as the premises considered he resolves to carry his conscience pure and his Soule white and unspotted to Heaven Hee prayes his Father therefore that hee will speedily ride to Sens in whose Iurisdiction Saint Lazare was and to pray two of the three Iudges to come over to him for that hee hath a great Secret to reveale them now on his death bed which conduceth to the glory of God the service of the King and the good of his owne soule His Father accordingly rides to Sens and brings two of those Iudges speedily with him to his Sonnes bed side to whom in presence of three or foure more of his Fathers neighbours â—…hee very sicke in body but perfectly sound in minde tells him that his Master Harcourt would heretofore have had him pistoll his Brother Vimorye to death and proferred him two hundred Crownes in mony and forty Crownes Annuity during his life to performe it but hee refused it and knowing the said Mounseiur De Vimorye to bee since murthered by a pistoll hee therefore verily beleeves that it is either his said Master or some other for him which is guilty of that lamentable murther the true detection whereof he saies he leaves to God and to them and within halfe an houre after yea before they were departed his Fathers house this Noell dies Hereupon these Iudges wondring at the providence of God in the evidence of this dying man for the discovery of this lamentable murther They speedily send away their officers who apprehend Harcourt in his owne house of Saint Simplitian carowsing and froliking it in his best wine in Company of three or foure of his deboshed consorts and Companions and so they bring him to Sens Where lying in prison that night the next morning the Iudges of that City cause him to bee arraigned before them and Charge him with pistolling of his Brother Mounseiur De Vimorie to death which fortified and armed by the Devill hee strongly and stoutly denies they reade his man Noells dying Evidence against him to prove it So they adjudge him to the fiery torment of the Scarpines for the vindication of this truth the which hee endureth with a wonderfull fortitude and constancy and still denies it When their hearts being prompted from Heaven and their soules from God That hee was yet the undoubted murtherer of his Brother they the second time adjudged him to the racke whereon permitting himselfe to bee fastened and the tormenters giving a good touch at him God is more mercifull to his soule then his Tortures are to his body and so with teares in his eies hee confesseth that it was hee which pistolled his Brother Vimorye to death and which afterwards ranne him twice thorow the body with his Rapier Whereupon for this bloody and unnaturall fact of his His Iudges without any regard to his extraction or quality condemne him the next afternoone betweene foure and five of the clocke to bee broken a live on the wheele at the publike place of execution Some few Gentlemen his kinsfolke solicite his reprivall because as yet they dispaire of his pardon but their labours proves vaine and they purchase no reputation in seeking it for now all Sens and the adjacent Country cry fie on him and on his foule and enormous Crymes of Adultery and Fratricide So the next day at the houre and place appointed hee is brought to his execution where a mighty concourse of people both of Sens and the adjacent Country flocke to see this monster of nature take his last farwell of this world Being mounted on the Scaffold in a Tawny Sattin sute with a gold edge Hee confesseth himselfe guilty of murthering his Brother Vimorye and yet hee grieves farre more for the death of his last wife Masserina then hee doth for that of his first La Precoverte Hee demands forgivenesse of God and the world for this his foule crime of Fratricide and praies all who are there present to pray to Almighty God for the salvation of his soule and that they become more charitable and religious and lesse bloudy and prophane by his example So commending his soule unto God his body to the Earth from whence it came and marking himselfe three or foure times with the signe of the Crosse hee willingly suffers the Executioner to fasten his Legges and Armes upon the wheele the wheele the which as soone as he breakes with his iron barre untill hee have seized upon death and death on him And thus was the wretched lives and miserable and yet deserved deaths of these our cruell and inhumane gracelesse Murtherers and in this manner did the Triumphs of Gods Revenge justly surprize them to their shame and cut them off to their Confusion May we read this History to Gods glory and as often meditate thereon to our owne particular reformation and instruction GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable sinne of Murther Romeo the Laquey of Borlary kils Radegonda the Chamber maid of the Lady Felisanna in the Street and is hanged for the same Borlari afterwards hireth Castruchio an Apothecary to poyson her Husband Seignior Planeze for the which Castruchio is hanged and his body throwne into the River and Borlari beheaded and burnt IT is a thousand griefes and pities to see Christians who are honoured with that glorious title and appellation should so willfully and wretchedly lose it by imbrewing their guilty hands in the innocent bloud of their Christian Brethren and thereby to bereave our selves of that rich ornament and inestimable Iewell which God in his Sonne Christ Iesus hath lent us for the planting of our Faith and given us for the extirpation of our prophanesse and the rooting out of our Impiety But this is the subtle malice and malitious subtilty of Sathan the professed enemy and Arch-Traytor of our soules as also of his infernall Agents and Factors who thereby prove and make themselves to bee the firebrands and incendiaries of their owne felicity and safety And because the examples of the wicked doe strike apprehension and feare to the godly and that the punishment and death of murtherers doth fortifie the Charity and foment and confirme the Innocency of the living Therefore for that Reason and to this end I have purposly given this next History a place in my Booke wherein wee shall see Choller Malice and Revenge to act many deplorable and bloudy parts Let us reade it with a zealous feare and a Christian fortitude and so wee shall assuredly hate this foule and crying Sinne iâ—…â—…thers and religiously
Dorilla receiving this Letter from Castruchio she puts it into her purse and promiseth him her best care and fidelity for the delivery thereof to Seignior Borlari although she confesseth that she neither knew him nor his house But see here the providence and mercy of God which cleerely resplends and shines in the deportment and action of this beastly old bawd for she meeting with some of her gamesters and gossips in the street though contrary to the custome of Italy away they goe to a taverne where they all swill their head and braines with wine especially Dorilla So the day being farre spent her businesse for Castruchio is ended ere begun for shee forgetting her selfe cannot remember his letter but as fast as her reeling legges will permit her away shee speedes towards her owne house which was some halfe a mile off in the Citty But when she was in the streets and had a little taken the aire then she cals Castruchios letter to minde and her promise to him to deliver it but to whom through her cups she hath quite forgotten for she cannot once hiâ—… on the name Borlari But at last remembring the letter to be in her purse and she by this time in the midst of the Citty she takes it out in her hand seeing a faire yet sorrowfull young Lady to stand at the street doore of her house all in mourning attire and no body neere her after she had done her duty to her she reacheth her the letter and humbly requesteth her to tell her the Gentlemans name to whom it was directed when God out of the profundity of his power and immensity of his pleasure having so ordained and ordered it that this faire young Lady was our sweet Felisanna who for the death of her deere husband Planeze had dighted her selfe al in mourning attire and apparel thereby the better to make it correspond with her heart who reading the superscription therof and finding it directed to Seignior Borlari by some motion or inspiration from heaven her heart could not refrain from sending all the bloudof her body into her face when demanding of this woman from whom this letter came Dorilla as drunke in her fidelity and innocency as shee was guilty of her drunkennesse tels her that the letter came from an Apothecary who lay in prison named Castruchio At the very repetition of which name our Felisanna againe blusheth and then palleth as if God had some newes to reveale her by this Letter because shee remembreth that this Castruchio as we have formerly understood was the very same Apothecary who gave her husband Planeze physicke a little before his death Whereupon she praying Dorilla to come with her into her house because she purposly and politikely affirmed she could not read written hand herselfe but would pray her father to doe it she leaves her in the utter hall and herselfe goes into the next roome where breaking up the seales of this letter she at the very first sight and knowledge that her husband was poysoned and by whom and that God had now miraculously revealed it to her through the ignorance and drunkennesse of this old woman she for meere griefe and sorrow is ready to fall to the ground in a swoone had not her father and some of his servants who over hearing her passionate outcries come speedily to her assistance which yet could not awake Dorilla who had no sooner sate her selfe downe in a chaire in the hall but being top heavy with wine she presently fell a sleepe Miniata rousing up his fainting and sorrowfull daughter brought her againe to herselfe and seeing her in a bitter agonie and passion of sorrow demands of her the cause thereof when the brinish teares trickling downe her virmilion cheekes she crossing her armes and fixing her eyes towards heaven had the will but not the power to speake a word to him but reacheth him the Letter to read Miniata perusing it is as much astonished with griefe as his daughter is afflicted with sorrow at this poysoning of her Husband and his sonne in Law Planeze so enquiring of her who brought her this letter she after many sighes and pauses tels him that it was the mercy and providence of the Lord who sent it her by a drunken woman who was forth in the Hall They both goe to her and finding her fast sleeping and snoring Miniata puls her by the sleeve and wakes her and then demands of her before his daughter and servants where and from whom she had this letter who as drunke as this Baud is she is constant in her first speech and confession to Felisanna that she had it from Castruchio an Apothecary who lay in prison but she had forgotten to whom she was to deliver it and then prayes them both to deliver and give her backe her letter againe But Miniata seeing and knowing that it was the immediate finger of God which thus strangely had revealed this murther of his sonne in Law Planeze he calls in two Gentlewomen his next neighbours to comfort his daughter Felisanna and so leaving Dorilla to the guard of two of his servants he with two other Gentlemen his neighbours takes his Coach and having Castruchio's Letter in his hand he drives away to the State-house where he findes out the Podestate and Prefect of the Citie and shewing them the Letter which revealed the poysoning and poysoners of Planeze his sonne in Law they in honour to justice and out of their respect to the sorrowfull Lady his daughter take their Coaches and returne with Miniata home to his house Where they first examine Felisanna and then Dorilla who is constant in her first deposition Whereat these grave and honourable Personages wondring and admiring that a Gentleman of Barlari his ranke and quality should make himselfe the guilty and bloudy Authour of so foule a Murther they likwise admiring and blessing Gods providence in the detection thereof doe presently send away their Isbieres or Serjeants to apprehend Borlari and so they goe to their Forum or seat of Iustice and speedily send away for Castruchio to be brought from the prison before them Who at the very first newes of their accusation of him and the producing of his Letter to Borlari he curseth the person and name of this old Bawd Dorilla who is the prime Authour of his overthrow and death and then confesseth himselfe to be the Actor and Seignior Borlari to be the Authour cause and Instigator of this his poysoning of Planeze but never puts his hand on his conscience and soule that the strange detection of this lamentable murther came directly from Heaven and from God The Serjeants by order from the Podestate and Prefect finde Borlari in his owne house ruffling in a new rich suit of apparrell of blacke Sattin trimmed with gold buttons which he that day put on and the next was determined to ride to the City of Bergamo to seeke in marriage a very rich young widdow whose Husband lately died
hearing no answer of either of them they instantly cause the doore to bee forced open where contrary to their expectation they finde the Lady Babtistyna dead and well neere cold in her bed and causing her body to bee secretly searched by some Chirurgians and neighbor Gentlewomen they all are of opinion that shee is undoubtedly stifled in her bed and her face very much blacke and swolne with struggling for life against death They are amazed and her Father Streni almost drowned in his sorrowfull teares at the fight of this deplorable accident and mournefull spectacle and therefore what to say or how to beare himselfe herein hee knowes not But the Iudges upon farther knowledge and consideration of the flight of Pierya the death of Bernardo and the promised Annuity of Amarantha upon their marriage as it were prompted by God doe vehemently suspect and believe that they all three were undoubtedly consenting guilty of Babtistyna's death notwithstanding that the Key of her Chamber was found thrown in within side So they presently leave this sorrowfull Father to his teares and betaking themselves to their Seat of Iustice doe instantly cause all the Gates of the City to be shut and a strict and curious search to be made in all parts thereof for the apprehension of Pierya which in their zeale and honour to sacred justice they performe with so much care and speed as within three houres after shee is found out and apprehended in an Aunts house of hers who was a poore woman and a Laundresse of that City named Eleanora Fracasa The Iudges being presently advertised hereof convent her before them and by vertue of this Annuity charge both her and her lover Bernardo to bee the actors and Amarantha to bee at least the accessary if not the authour with them of murthering Babtistyna shee can hardly speake for teares at this her examination because her sighes still cut her words in pieces and yet she is so farre from grace and repentance as at first shee stoutly denyes all and boldly affirmes that both Amarantha Bernardo and her selfe were every way innocent of attempting any thing against Babtistyna's life and that if shee were dead shee dyed onely of a naturall death by the appoyntment of God and no otherwise and to this Answer of hers the Devill had made her so strong as shee added many fearfull oaths and deprecations both for her owne and their justification but yet notwithstanding this her Apologie these grave and cleere-fighted Iudges are so farre from diminishing as they augment their suspition both of her and them and so commit her to prison and forthwith to the racke At the pronouncing of which Sentence Pierya is much daunted seemes to let fall some of her former fortitude and constancie and to burst forth into many passionate teares sighs and exclamations But they will nothing availe her for seeing her pretended Husband Bernardo dead in whom lived the imaginary joyes of her heart shee so fainted as at the very first sight of the Racke with some teares and more deep fetch'd sighes shee confessed to her Iudges that shee and Bernardo had stifled her Lady Babtistyna in her bed but still constantly affirmed that her sister Amarantha was wholly innocent thereof flattering her selfe with this hope that for thus her cleering of her Lady Amarantha from this crime and danger shee in requitall thereof could doe no lesse then bee a meanes to procure a pardon for her life But these hopes of hers will deceive her and flie as fast from her hereafter as ever shee formerly did from God So the Iudges in detestation of this her foule and bloudy crime adjudge her to bee hanged for the same but first they send her backe to prison and the very next morning before breake of day they secretly send away three of their Isbieres or Sergeants to Cardura to fetch the Lady Amarantha to Florence being very confident notwithstanding Pierya's denyall that shee likewise had a deepe finger and share in her Sister Babtistyna's murther Amarantha not dreaming in Cardura what had betided in Florence to 〈◊〉 and Pierya but flattering her selfe with much hope and joy that by this time they had undoubtedly made away her Sister Babtistyna and consequently that she should shortly revisite Florence and there domineere alone and obtaine some gallant Cavallier of her Father for her husband shee in expectance of her servant Bernardo's returne and of his pleasing newes had that day as it were in a bravery and triumph purposely dighted her selfe up in her best attire and richest apparell and so betaking her selfe to her Chamber and to that window which looked towards Florence shee with a longing desire expecteth ev'ry minute when he will arrive when about ten of the clocke before dinner contrary to her expectation shee sees three men to enter into the house apparelled as Florentines whereat shee much museth and wondereth as not knowing what they or their comming should import These three Sergeants having entred the house they are brought to the Governesse Malevola who brings them to her young Lady Amarantha in her Chamber to whom with a dissembling confidence they report to her That Seâ—…gnior Streni her Father hath sent them to conduct and accompany her speedily to Florence Amarantha inquires of them for her Fathers Letters to that effect whereunto one of the subtlest of them makes answer very slylie and artificially to her that her Fathers haste and her preferment would not permit him to write to her for that hee perfectly knew from him hee was now upon matching her to a rich and noble Husband Her Governesse Malevola likewise demands of them if hee had not written to her selfe they answer no but that hee bad them tell her that he will'd her without delay to bring away his Daughter Amarantha with her and themselves to Florence by Coach and onely one Foot-boy The Pupill and Governesse consult hereon and the very name of a Husband makes the first as willing as the second is discontented to goe to Florence without a Letter but the policie of the Sergeants so prevaile with the simplicity of this young Lady and old Gentlewoman that they speedily packe up their Trunkes so dine and then take Coach and horse and away for Florence during which short journey although the mirth and joy of Amarantha bee great yet shee findes so many different reluctations and extravagant thoughts in her minde at the absence and silence of her man Bernardo as shee cannot possibly againe refraine from musing and wondering thereat They all arrive at Florâ—…nce where these Sergeants having learnt their parts well and acting them better in stead of Amarantha's Fathers house doe clap her up close prisoner in the Common Goale of that City notwithstanding all her prayers and cries sighes and teares to the contrary and then send her Governesse Malevola home to her said Father to advertise him hereof who tearing the snow-white haire of his head and beard at this sad newes and
and may well be called the Fortresse of Christian piety against the tentations of Sathan so by the contrary wee expose and lay open our selves to the treacherous lures and malice of the Devill For if by Faith wee doe not first beleeve then pray unto God for our owne preservation it will bee no hard matter for him to tempt us in our choller to quarrell with our best friends and in our malice and revenge to murther even our neerest and dearest Kindred O Faith the true foundation of our soveraigne felicitie O Prayer the sweet preservative and sacred Manna of our soules how blessed doe you make those who embrace and retaine you and contrariwise how miserable and wretched are they who contemne and reject you Of which last number this insuing Historie will produce us one who by his debauched life and corrupt conversation trampled those two heavenly Vertues and Graces under his feet without thinking of God or regarding much lesse fearing his judgements But how God in the end requited him for the same this Historie will likewise shew us May we therefore reade it to Gods glory and to our owne instruction IN the Citie of Verceli after Turin one of the chiefest of Piedmont bordering neere to the Estate and Dutchy of Millan there lately dwelt a rich Cannon of that Cathedrall Church named Alosius Cassino who had a daintie sweet young Gentlewoman to his Neece named Dona Eleanora whose mother being sister to Cassino named Dona Isabella Caelia lately died and left this her onely daughter and â—…ild her heire very rich both in demeanes and moneys when her Vncle Cassino â—…eing neerest her in blood takes Eleanora and her Estate into his protection and â—…ardship and is as tender of her breeding and education and as curious of her â—…omportment and cariage as if shee were his owne daughter for there is no sweet â—…alitie nor exquisite perfection requisite in a young Gentlewoman of her ranke and extraction but he caused her to become not superficiall but artificiall therein as in Dancing Musicke Singing Painting Writing Needling and the like wherof all the Nobility and Gentry of Verceli take exact notice and knowledge yea her beautie grew up so deliciously with her yeares that she was and was justly reputed to be the prime Flower and Phenix of the Citie Cassino considering that his house was destiâ—…te of a Matron to accompany and oversee this his Neece Eleanora that his age was too Stoicall for her youth and that his Ecclesiasticall profession and function called him often to preach and pray hee therefore deeming it very unfit and unseemely in the Interims of his absence to leave her to her selfe and to be ruled and governed by her owne fancy and pleasure shee being now arrived to twelve yeares of age He therefore provides her new apparell and other pertinent necessaries and giving her a wayting-mayd and a man of his owne to attend her hee sends her in his Coach to the Citie of Cassall in the Marquisat of Montferrat to the Lady Marguerita Sophia a widdow Gentlewoman lâ—…ft by her deceased husband but indifferently rich but endowed with all those ornaments of Art and Honour which made her famous not onely in Piedmont and Lombardie but also to all Italy and to her he therefore writes this ensuing Letter to accompany his Neece and chargeth his man with the delivery thereof to her CASSINO to SOPHIA TO satisfie your courteous Requests and my former promise I now send you my Neece Eleanora to Cassall whom I heartily pray thee to use as thy daughter and to command as thy Hand-maid She hath no other Vncle but mee nor I any other acquaintance but thy selfe with whom I would entrust her for her Education and recommend her for her Instruction Shee is not inclined to any vice that I know of except to those imperfections wherein her youth excuseth her ignorance and it is both my order and charge to her that she carefully and curiously adorne her selfe with vertues in thy example and imitation without which the privileges of Nature and Fortune as Beauty and Wealth are but only obscure shadowes and no true substances because there is as much difference betwixt those and these as betweene the puritie of the soule and the corruption of the bodie or betweene the dignitie and excellencie of Heaven and the invaliditie and basenesse of Earth I am content to lena her to you for a few moneths but doe infinitely desire to give her to thy Vertues for ever In which my voluntary transaction and donation thou wilt conferre much happinesse to her and honour to mee and consequently for ever bind both her Youth and my Age to thee in a strict obligation of thanks and debt What apparell or other necessaries thou deemest her to want thy will shall be mine God ever blesse her in his feare and you both to his glory CASSINO The Lady Sophia receives this sweet young Virgin with much content and joy yea shee sees her tender yeares already adorned with such excellent beautie and that beautie with such exquisite vertues that it breeds not only admiration but affection in her towards her whom shee entertaineth with much respect and care as well for her owne sake as also for her Vncle Cassino's whose letter shee againe and againe reads over highly applauding his vertuous and honourable care of this his Neece whom in few yeares she hopes will prove a most accomplished gracious Gentlewoman when Cassino's Coach-man after a dayes stay deeming it high time for him to returne to Verceli to his Master he takes his leave of his young Mistris Elianora who out of her few yeares and tender affection and dutie to her Vncle with teares in her eyes prayes him to remember her best service to him at his comming home and the Lady Sophia by him likewise returnes and sends him this letter in answere of his SOPHIA to CASSINO I Know not whether you have made mee more proud or joyfull by sending me Eleanora wherein you have given mee farre more honour than I deserve though farre lesse than she meriteth and who henceforth shall be as much my Daughter in affection as shee is your Neece by Nature and if I have any Art in Nature or Iudgement in Inclinations her vertues and beautie doe already anticipate her yeares for as the one is emulous of Fame and the other of Glory so as friendly Rivals and yet honourable friends they already seeme to strive and contend in her for supremacie to the last of which as being indeed the most precious and soveraigne if my poore capacitie or weake endeavors may adde any thing I will esteeme it my ambition for your sake and my felicitie for hers But if you resolve not rather to give her to mee for some yeares than to lend her to mee for a few moneths you will then kill my hopes in their buds and my joyes in their blossomes and so make me as unfortunate in her absence as I shall
odious in the sight of God and man that he acknowledged hee no longer deserved to tread on the face of the earth or to looke up to Heaven That he knew not justly whereunto to attribute this infamy and misery of his but to his continuall neglect and omission of prayer whereby he banished himselfe from God and thereby gave the Devill too great an interest over his body and soule that he desired God to forgive him these his two soule and bloody crimes of Murther as also that of his neglect of Prayer and so with teares in his eyes besought all who were there present likewise to pray unto God for him When againe beseeching the vertuous young Lady Eleanora to forgive him the murther of her good old Vncle Cassino hee often making the signe of the Crosse and recommending himselfe into the hands of his Redeemer bad the Executioner doe his office who presently with his sword severed his head from his body and both were immediatly burnt and the ashes throwen into the River of Ticino without the wals of Vercelie although his Iudges were once of opinion to send his said head and body to Cassall for the Iudges of that place to doe their pleasure therewith for there poysoning of his owne Mother the Lady Sophia And thus was the miserable and yet deserved death and end of this bloody and execrable Gentleman Alphonso and in this sort did the judgements and punishments of God befall him for these his two most inhumane and deplorable Murthers May God of his infinit grace and mercie still fortifie and confirme our faith by constant and continuall prayer the want whereof was the fatall Rocke whereon hee perished that so we may secure our selves in this world and our soules in that to come GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXECRAble Sinne of Murther HISTORIE XXIV Pont Chausey kils La Roche in a Duell Quatbrisson causeth Moncallier an Apothecary to poyson his owne Brother Valfontaine Moncallier after fals and breakes his necke from a paire of staires Quatbrisson likewise causeth his Fathers Mâ—…er 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 murther and strangle Marieta in her Bed and to throw her body into his Mill-Pond Pierot the Miller is broken alive on a wheele and Quatbrisson first beheaded then burnt for the same WEe may truely affirme that the world is in her wane when Murther is become the practice of Christians which indeed is the proper office of the Devill and how frequently those wofnll accidents happen wee cannot thinke of but with much horrour nor remember but with grieâ—…e of mind and compassion of heart For is it not to mâ—…ke our selves wilfull Traitors and Rebels to God to violate his Divine Majestie in spoiling his true Image and resemblance yea is it not the high-way of Hell But that this age of ours produceth such Monsters of nature reade we but this ensuing Historie and it will informe us of much innocent blood shed we know not whether more wilfully or wickedly IT is not unknowne that the Province of little Britaine was long since annexed and united to the flourishing Kingdome of France by the marriage of Charles the Eighth with Anne the young Dutchesse thereof notwithstanding that she weâ—…e formerly contracted to Maximilian Arch-duke of Austria where we shall understand that in the Citie of Vannes formerly the Court and Residence of those British Dukes thereof late yeares dwelt a noble Gentleman of rich Demaines and Revenues termed Monsieur de Caerstaing who by his wife Madamoyselle de la Ville Blanche had two Sonnes the eldest named by his title Monsieur de Quatbrisson and the youngest Monsieur de Valfontaine The first aged of twenty foure yeares being short and corpulent the second of twentie being tall and slender both of them brave and hopefull Gentlemen as well in their outward personages as in the â—…ward perfections and endowments of their minds For in all respects the care and affection of their Parents had made their education answerable to their births Valfontaine for the most part lived in the Citie of Nantes the second of that Dutchie with an Vncle of his named Monsieur de Massie being President of the Kings Chamber of Accounts which is kept there who frequenting the Bals or publike Dancings whereunto the youth of France are generally adicted amongst many other excellent beauties wherewith that Citie is graced and those pastimes and meetings honoured he sees a young Gentlewoman being a stranger and newly come to the Citie so infinitly rich in the excellencies of nature and the treasure of lovelinesse and beauty as with a kind of imperious commanding power shee atracts all mens eyes to behold to admire to affect her So as although Valfontaines youthfull heart and yeaâ—…es had never as yet stooped or sacrificed to Love yet at the very first sight of this sweet young Gentlewoman whose name wee shall not goe farre to know hee cannot retaine his enamored eyes from gadding on the Roses and ranging on the Lillies of her sweet complexion nor his resolutions from enquiring what her name and her selfe was when being informed that she was the onely daughter and heire of a rich and noble Gentleman a Widdower termed Monsieur de Pennelle of the Parish of Saint Aignaw fower leagues from the Citie and her name Madamoyselle la Pratiere of the age of some seventeene hee at the very first sight likes her so well and loves her so deerely that if her interiour vertues come not too fhort of her exteriour beauty and feature he vowes he will be her Sutor and Servant and so he attempts to court and seeke her for his wife To which end he more like a Tutor then a Pupill in the Art and Schoole of love is so farre from neglecting any as he curiously and carefully seekes all opportunities and occasions to enjoy the felicity of her company and so for the most part hee conducts her to and from the dauncings sits and talkes with her in her lodgings meets her at Church where as well at Vespers as Masse he accompanies and prayes with her and briefly shee can difficultly be present any where where he is long absent from her For by this time which is scarce a moneth since he first saw her her peerelesse beauty and unparalell'd vertues and discourse have acted such amorous wonders in his heart as hee vowes hee must either live her Husband or die her Martyr But see the providence and pleasure of God for if Valfontaine tenderly love our sweet and faire La Pratiere no lesse doth shee him for knowing him to be the Sonne of his Father and therefore a Gentleman of noble extraction and worth and seeing him to bee wise discreet and proper as also remembring and marking that he fervently and infinitly affects her shee is so delighted with his neat feature and personage and ravished with the melodie of his discourse as albeit at first her tongue bee so civill and modest to conceale her affection from him yet her eyes the Ambassadors of
of his owne Sonnes who were gallant young Gentlemen named Seignior Alexandro and Thomaso Ceranno who were ignorant of all this matter with his coach to Saint Francis Church and when they there see the faire Gentlewoman Imperia to issue forth then in courteous manner not to faile to bring her away in coach with them to his House under pretext and coulour that the Lady Honoria their mother doth desire to see and speak with her and that she will please to passe one houre with her in her garden with whom and where she by the way of visits had formerly sometimes beene These two young Gentlemen in obedience to their fathers commands drive away to that Church and presently espie Imperia on her knees who now riseth and goes forth they follow her and in the street with their hats in their hands do present their Lady Mothers request and errand to her as wee have formerly heard Imperia knowing them to bee the Podestates two Sonnes shee at first is so infinitly perplexed grieved and amazed hereat Yea shee is hereupon vexed and tormented in so strange a manner that with much perturbation of mind she now through her foule and guilty conscience looks pale for sorrow and presently red againe for shame so that in the turning of a hand and twinckling of an eye shee exchangeth the Lillies of her cheekes into Roses and those Roses as soone againe into Lillies But then fearing her danger least when shee had all the reasons of the world both to doubt and feare it most considering that the Podestate and the Lady his wife were her kinde and honourable good friends and had now sent their coach for her as also observing the faire carriage and courteous language of these two her young sonnes towards her Shee then being blinded by the Devill doth so wholly forget both her crime and her danger her judgement and her selfe that rejecting her feare and composing her countenance to a modest cheerefullnesse she willingly obeyes the mothers commands and accepts of the Sonnes courtesie and so goes along home with them in their Coach where being arrived These two young Gentlemen doe usher and conduct her up to the gallery where not the Lady their Mother but the Podestate their father accompanied with two other grave Officers of Iustice attend her comming Their very first sight is sufficiently capable to daunt her courage with feare and to transpierce her heart and soule with sorrow When the Podestate calling her to him hee with a sterne countenance gives her this thundering peale for her goodmorrow and breakefast That hee is sorry to see that so faire a Gentlewoman as her selfe should harbour and enshrine so foule a heart That her good old Husband Seignior Palmerius is this morning found stifled to death in his bed with an Orenge in his mouth and that he both thinkes and assures himselfe it is done by her and by her bloody Ruffian and Enamourato Morosini for the which he saith he is constrained in honour to justice to make her Prisoner to the Pope his holinesse his Soverainge Lord and Master wherat this false Hipocrite Imperia with a world of sighes and teares cries out and tells him that she left her old Husband Palmerius in perfect health in his bed this morning that therfore shee hopeth and trusteth in God hee is not murthered or if hee bee that it must needs bee done by his wretched Nephew Richardo who impatiently gaped and hoped for his great wealth and riches or else by some Devill in his shape of his seducing and hiring him therunto That Morosini is not her Ruffian or Enamourato but a brave marchant by his profession an Honorable Gentleman of Venice by birth and extraction and that shee dares pawne her life for his that they are both of them as innocent of this foule crime as the infants who were borne but the last night and that shee hath farre more reason to weepe for the death of her husband than any way to feare her owne life because shee knowes that God is the defender of innocents and the protector of the righteous with many other passionate and sorrowfull speeches conducting and looking that way but these her speeches and teares cannot prevaile with the Podestate for both hee and his two collegues doe yet firmely beleeve that shee is guilty of this inhumane murther So he imprisoneth her in a chamber of his owne house for that day and intends at night to send her to the common Goale of that Citty Now as shee is led along betwene two Ushers or Serjeants through a lower roome where all the Podestates Servants and some few others of the Citty were flocked thither to see her passe by shee infinitly more caring for her Morosini's life and fearing his death than her own it is her chance to espy Mercario whom we have formerly understood shee sent with her Letters to him to Constantinople and Aleppo and knowing that the Serjeants would then difficultly permit her to speake with any of the company shee amidst her teares be thinkes herselfe of a pretty policy for as shee past close by Mercario shee purposly le ts fall her gloves and wet handkerchiefe for him to take up the which he doth and as hee was stooping to effect it shee secretly and swiftly rounds him in his eare thus I pray goe instantly upon the Kaye to Morosini's lodging and tell him that I am a prisoner in the Podestates house for the businesse hee knowes of and herefore that he and Astanicus and Donato doe speedily provide for their safety as also that if I had a thousand lives I would willingly lose and sacrifice them all for to preserve his and that I will live and dye his most loving friend and faithfull handmaide the which as soone as shee had uttered shee is imprisoned in a darke Chamber where shee hath none but her guilty conscience the bare walles and the two Serieants for her miserable comforters and yet here thinking to breath and draw some hope among all her dispaire and sorrowes she praies one of the Serjeants to report her humble service to the Lady Honoria the Podestates Wife and to pray her to oblige and honour her so much as to see and speake a word with her But she having beene informed by the Iudge her husband that he absolutly held and beleeved her to be the murtherer of her own Husband Seignior Palmerius shee was too Honourable to grant Imperia this courtesie and therefore in detestation of her foule fact highly disdained to afford her this charitie and consolation and so slatly denies either to see or speake with her And now doe the Podestate and his two Colleagues sit and debate in councell with themselves how and in what manner to surprise Morosini Astonicus and Donato for although they are not sure yet by their absence the last night from their lodging with Morosini they thinke that they two are Accessaries with him herein First they are of
to bee of this second rancke for shee wholly dispiseth Gods justice and so absolutely forgets God himselfe as shee neither thinkes of â—…hat shee hath now done what shee now is or which is worst of all what hereafter shee may bee but rather as an inconsiderate and wretched gipsie laughes in her sleeve for joy to have thus happily bereaved Sanctifiore of his life who so lately and so treacherously had bereaved her of her honour and chastity Whileâ—… thus sorrowfull Sebastiano is hurring away his joyfull murtherous young mistris the Lady Vrsina in her coach towards her Father Seignior Placedo's house in Naples as thinking to make his way the shorter and securer hee drave his coach on a narrow path by the side of a hill it so pleased God in his sacred providence as of his two coach horses that of the out side fell sheare over the path and drew his fellow horse the coach the Lady Vrsina and her coachman Sebastiano downe the hill after him with which suddaine terrible â—…ll the coach was shattered and torne in peeces shee brake her right arme wherewith shee had discharged these two pistolls and hee his left legge so that shee had the power but not the will and hee the will but not the power to step to her assistance only hee leaps from the coach box to the ground on his right legge and with his knife cuts off the stayes and trappings of his horses that they in their amazed fury might not draw the coach and themselves after them and yet such is her impenitency and his affliction as shee here was not halfe so much terrified as hee perplexed and astonished at this their misfortunate disaster the which though shee sleighted as only looking downe to her selfe yet hee deemed conceived it to be no lesse than a blow from heaven as looking up to God and therefore that it was a fatall Omen portending some dismall calamities and afflictions which were immediately to surprise and betide them As thus distressed Vrsina and her lame and sorrowfull coachman Sebastiano â—…ate downe on the bâ—…e ground rather able to behold than to know how to helpe one the other and they both grieving to see their coachlye toâ—…e on the lee side and shore of the hill and their two coach-horses without hurt or feare licentiâ—…sly playing their friskes and figuaries below in the valleies neither hee nor shee knew what coâ—…se to take for their present consolation and safety and so to prevent the imminency of their danger but at last shee taking some ten double pistolls of Spanish gold out of her pocket and giying it him she againe makes him swear secrecie never to reveale what hee had seene her performe to Sanctifiore the which with more reluctancy than willingnes hee doth Then as it was agreed betweene them hee by some loud cries and holla's should call in some contadines or country labourers to their assistance whom they saw a good distance off very busily working in the vines the which as hee was about to doe loe God in his sacred providence so ordained that the Baron of Sanctifiores coach came ratling above them where they two sate comfortlesse and sorrowfull upon the ground and in the coach was his page Hieronymo who therewith was going to fetch home the Baron his master who perfectly seeing and knowing the Lady Vrsina and her coachman Sebastiano and seeing her coach lye by her all reversed shattered and tâ—…rne to peeces grieving at this her disaster hee for the respect hee bore her for the Baron his masters sake whom hee knew formerly loved her takes his coachman with him and so descends downe to her assistance where being more fully acquainted of the breaking of her arme and her coachman Sebastiano's legge hee very humanely and courteously profers her his Lords coach and his best service to conduct and cary them both home to her father Seignior Placedo's house in the cittie little thinking or dreaming that shee came from so cruelly murthering his kind Lord and master Sanctifiore or that his breathlesse body lay now exposed as a prey to the fowles of the aire in the fields Sebastiano is much perplexed and grieved but his Lady Vrsina infinitely more at this unexpected encounter and ominous meeting of Sanctifiores page coach and coachman which threatned her no lesse than feare and this feare no lesse than imminent danger and confusion especially to her selfe if not to him when looking wistly and sorrowfully each on other they know not how to beare themselves in the unfortunacy of this accident neither dare shee accept or well knowes how to refuse this profered courtesie of the page Hieronymo But at last despight of her selfe shee is enforced to imbrace this opportunity when making a vertue of necessitie shee though much against her will is constrained very thankfully to accept and make use of this kindnes of Hieronymo who leading the Lady Vrsina by her leftarme and his coachman hers by his right they softly bring them up the hill to the Baron their masters coach and so convey her home to her father Seignior Placedo's house in the cittie who was then gone forth to sup with the Prince of Salerno who by the mothers side was his cosen Germane where Vrsina setting a good face upon her bad heaâ—…t gives the page many hearty thankes and the coachman three duckatons for this their courtesie so they take leave of her and speedily returne with their coach into the fields to fetch home the Baron their master to whom they resolve at full to relate this accident when Vrsinas feares far exceeding her hopes and knowing upon what ticklish â—…earmes and dangerous points both her selfe and her life now stood shee in the absence of her father speedily resolves to provide her a swift coach and so to flye from Naples to her aunt Mellefantas house in Putzeole where shee promised her selfe far more safetie and lesse danger than here at home with her father but contrariwise wee shall see that God is now resolved to deceive both her hopes and her selfe herein to her utter shame and confusion The page Hieronymo being sorrowfull for the Lady Vrsinas misfortune and yet exceeding glad that hee had the happines and good fortune to performe her this faire office and friendly courtesie to her hee now bids his coachman drive away ore the fields to that pleasant grove to find out their Lord and master Sanctifiore where being arived hee descends his coach and with his vigilant eye lookes about every where for him when ahlas hee hath scarce gone forty paces off but directly contrary to his expectation hee finds him there dead on the ground and most lamentably all gored and engrained in his owne blood at the sight whereof hee bursts forth into many bitter teares and out cries yea hee throwes away his hat and teares his haire for griefe and sorrow hereof and no lesse doth his coachman They are here both of them so amazed with griefe and astonished
Mother in the defence of Pont de Sey assaulted and taken by the King her sonne Now although this old widdow La Vasselay in respect of her Age was farre more fit to seeke God in the Church than a new Husband in her bed yet shee is weary of a single life although it be not fully six moneths since shee hath buried her second husband for the Reader must understand she had formerly buried her first at least five and twenty yeares before and is now againe resolved to take a third and albeit she knew that the civility of the widdowes in France was such that they seldome marrie but almost never within the tearme of a whole yeare yet her conceit and fancie thinks it not onely lawfull but fit to breake this too austere custome and therefore she peremptorily resolves to live a wife and not to die a widdow But this resolution of hers were shee either in the Summer or the Autumne of her yeares had beene as excusable and praise-worthy as now it savoured of undecencie and inconstancie sith she was in the Winter thereof For Age despight of her Youth and youthfull desires had throwne snow on her head and new dyed the colour of her haire from blacke to white yea shee was so farre from retaining any signes or reliques of an indifferent beauty as the furrowes of her face could not justly shew any ruines or demolitions thereof and yet forsooth she will marry againe Now her Birth and wealth rather than her Vertues and personage invite many old Widdowers and some rich Gentlemen and Counsellours of the famous Presidiall Court of that City to seeke her in marriage and indeed both for lands and money none her inferiours but all at least her equals and some her betters But in vaine for the vanity of her thought suggest her that either shee is too young for them or they too old for her and therfore she will have none of them yea her lust seemes so youthfully to give a law to her age and the lye to her yeares as she casts off her mourning attire decks her selfe up in gay apparell powders her haire paints her face with a resolution forsooth to have no old Dotard but a young Gallant to her husband as if therein she wholly placed not onely her content but her felicity But wee many times see such irregular desires and such incontinent designes met with unexpected misery and unthought of repentance Now during the time that the vaine carriage and deportment of this old Gentlewoman and widdow La Vasselay made her selfe the laughter and by-word of all Mans home comes a young Gentleman of this Countrey of Maine termed Monsier De Merson from his travell in Italy whose father dwelt betwixt La Vall and Gravelle tearmed Monsier De Manfrelle being a Gentleman well descended and rich and to whom De Merson was second sonne who in a yeares absence in Italy being purposely sent thither by his father to enrich his experience and capacity which is the true essence and glory of a traveller thereby to bee the more capable to serve his Prince and Countrey as also to be a comfort to his age and a second prop to his house and linage he had made such poore and unprofitable use of his travels as forgetting the obtaining of the language and all generous exercises perfections and qualities so requisite and gracefull in Gentlemen he delighted in nothing so much nay in nothing else but to passe his time with Curtisans and strumpets especially in Venice Rome and Naples where for their sakes and his lascivious pleasures hee built up the greatest part of his Residence where he so prodigally spent and exceeded his fathers exhibition as he returnes into France not loaden with Vertues and Experience but with Vices and Debts being otherwise ignorant in all things which he should know and knowing nothing but that wherein he should be ignorant Onely to the end he might thereby set the better counterfeit tincture on himselfe and false lustre on his Endowments and Proficiencie he superficially brought away or rather borrowed some Italian Phrases and complements which hee thought would not onely passe currant with the Gentlemen and Ladies of France but also draw them into admiration as well of himselfe as them When immediately upon his arrivall that he might the better see and make himselfe seene of the world hee flaunts it out in brave apparell both in L'avall Angiers and Mans Yea there is scarce any great feast or marriage in all those parts but if he be not invited yet hee purposely invites himselfe thereat thereby to make himselfe the more conspicuous and apparant to the eyes of the world especially of the Ladies and Gentlewomen in whose acquaintance and favour he not onely endevours to initiate but strives to ingraft himselfe But his old father Manfrelle judiciously observing the vaine behaviour and light deportment and carriage of this his son he exceedingly grieves thereat because he had well hoped that his travels would have returned him as capable and discreet as now he finds him ignorant and which is worse debosh'd sith he well knew that either of these two vices was enough sufficient and powerfull not onely to ruine his reputation but his fortunes Againe to adde more sorrowes to his griefe and more discontent to his sorrowes for the vanity and levity of this his sonne every weeke nay almost every day brings him in new bills of his debts a third falling in upon the necke of first and second and a fourth on the third which being greater than his estate or at least his pleasure would permit him to pay hee takes his sonne De Merson aside and very sharply checks him for his old and new prodigalities vowes that hee will neither sell nor morgage his lands to discharge his foolish debts and therefore hee bids him looke to satisfie them for that hee is resolved not to see much lesse to speake with any of his Creditors how great or small soever the summes bee he owes them This cooling card of Manfrelles makes his sonne De Merson not onely bite his lips for sorrow but hang his head for anger and vexation yea his folly doth so eclipse and overvaile his judgement herein as in stead of making good use hereof hee takes a contrary resolution and so resolves to embrace and follow the worst for whereas hee should have made his pride and prodigality strike saile and now rather seeke to reintegrate himselfe into his fathers favours than any way futurely attempt to incense or exasperate him against him he onely taking counsell of his Youth Passions and Choller which as false and treacherous guides most commonly lead us to misery and repentance againe precipitates and ingulphs himselfe afresh in new debts both with his Vsurer Mercer and Taylor and no longer able to digest his fathers checks and frownes hee very inconsiderately and raâ—…ly packs up his baggage leaves his house rides to Mans and there resolves to
passe his time that Winter partly hoping that his father will discharge his debts in his absence but more especially to become acquainted with the beauties of that City thereby to obtaine some rich young heire or old widdow for his wife whose estate and wealth might support his pride and maintaine his excessive prodigality and voluptuousnesse and indeed although the two former of these his hopes deceive him yet he shall shortly finde and see that the third and last will not Living thus in Mans the bravery of his apparell and equipage the freenesse of his expences his comely talke personage blacke beard and sanguine complexion makes him as soone acquainted and affected as knowne of many Ladies and Gentlewomen and farre the more because they know his father De Manfrelle to bee a very ancient and rich Gentleman of that Countrey of Maine and although hee is not his heire yet in regard hee is his second sonne as also a Traveller he was the more honoured and respected of all those he frequented so that the very fame and name of Monsier de Merson beganne to bee already divulged and knowne in the City yea and because hee was a great Balladine or Dancer there was no solemne assembly either publike or private but still De Merson made one and there was not a reputed beauty or supposed courteous Lady in Mans or thereabouts but such was his vanity as hee soone wrought and insinuated himselfe into her acquaintance and familiarity the which he made not onely his delight but his glory And although that in a small time the wiser sort of the Gentlemen and Ladies of the Citie found his wit and experience to come infinitely short of his brave apparell yet the more illiterate ignorant of them who esteeme all men by their lustre not by their brave worth as preferring gay apparell and the comelinesse of the body before the exquisite endowments and perfections of the mind they hold him in so high a repute esteeme as they thinke him to be the most absolute Gallant not onely of Mans but of all the Country of Maine so easie it is to captivate the conceits and judgements of those who onely build their judgements in their conceits and not their conceits in judgement And of this ranke and number was our old widow La Vasselay who having many times heard of De Mersons fame and comely personage and seene him once at a Sermon and twice at two severall Nuptiall feasts where his skill and agility proved him to be one of the prime dancers she is so farre in love with him as in her thoughts and heart she wisheth she had given halfe her estate dowrie conditionally that she were his wife and he her husband yea she is so ravished with the comelinesse of his feature and the sweetnesse of his complexion and countenance as all the world is not halfe so deare to her as De Merson nor any man whatsoever by many thousand degrees so delicious to her eye and pleasing to her heart and soule as himselfe And although she be in the frozen Zone of her age yet her intemperate lust makes her desires so youthfully intemperate as forgetting reason and modestle that the best vertue of our soule and this the chiefest ornament of our body she a thousand times wisheth that either De Merson were impalled in her armes or she incloystred in his But doting yea I may well neere truly say dying old Gentlewoman is this a time for thee to thinke of a young husband when one of thy old feet is as it were in thy grave 〈◊〉 being in thy 〈◊〉 yeare of threescore and three art thou yet so fraughted with levity and exempt of continency as thou wilt needs seeke to marrie one of five and twenty Foolish La Vasselay if it be not now time yea high time for thee to sacrifice thy desires to continencie when will it be if ever be Didst thou resolve to wed a husband neere of thine owne age and so to end the remainder of thy dayes with him in chaste and holy wedlocke that resolution of thine were as excusable as this in desiring so young a one is worthy not onely of blame but of reprehension and I may say of pitie Consider consider with thy selfe what a preposterous attempt and enterprise is this of thine that when thou shouldest finish thy dayes in devotion and prayer thou then delightest to begin them in concupiscence and lust O La Vasselay mocke at those rebellious and treacherous pleasures of the flesh which seeme to mocke at thee yea to betray thee and if there be yet any sparke of thy youth which lies burning under the embers of thy age why if thy chaste thoughts cannot yet let modesty or at least piety extinguish them God hath already given thee two husbands is it not now therfore time yea more than time for thee to prepare to give thy selfe to God Hitherto the chastity of thy youth hath made thee happy and wilt thou now permit that the lust of thine age make thee unfortunate or peradventure miserable and that the purity and candeur of that be distained and polluted by the foulnesse and obscenity of this Alas alas incontinent inconsiderate Gentlewoman of a grave Matron become not a youthfull Gigglet or if thou wilt not suffer the eyes of thy body at least permit those of thy soule to look from thy painted cheeks to thy snow-white haire who can informe and tell thee that thou art far fitter for Heaven than earth sith those pleasures are transitory and these eternall for God than a husband sith he onely can make thee blessed whereas in reward of thy lascivious lust this peradventure may be reserved to make thee both unfortunate and wretched But the vanity of this old Gentlewomans thoughts and desires doe so violently fix and terminate on the youth beauty of young and as she immodestly tearms him faire De Merson as the only consideration of her delight and pleasure weighes downe all other respects so that neither reason nor modesty advice nor perswasion can prevaile with her resolution to divert her affection from him but love him she doth and which is repugnant as well to the instinct of Nature as to the influence of modesty and rules of civility seeke him for her husband shee will yea she is already become so sottish in her affection and so lasciviously fervent in her desires towards him that her heart thinks of him by day her soule by night that admires him as the very life of her felicity and thus adores him as the onely content and glory of her life shee will not see the greatnesse of her owne estate and wealth nor consider the smallnesse of his meanes and hopes in that he is not an heire but a second brother she will not enquire after his debts and vices to know what those may be what these are she will not thinke what a preposterous disparity there is betwixt the